Since the Beginning
by jessiejlp1987
Summary: Spike has been in Buffy's life since she became the Slayer. When they promise to help instead of harm one another, will their mutual respect turn into a deeper emotion as they face a battle to survive, followed by an unnatural event brought on by their devotion for one another? *Takes place when Buffy is 16 and still trying to come to terms with being the 'chosen one'.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its characters, or story lines.**

He was not her favorite person/thing in the world, but he never failed her. Ever since he went to Los Angeles the previous year to seek her out and sink his teeth into her young neck, they had somehow found a mutual respect for one another.

That had been two weeks after Buffy found out she was the chosen one. At fifteen, so much had been thrust upon her in such a short time that The Big Bad was just another obsticle threatening her life. Merrick, her short lived watcher, had tried to prepare her for his arrival. Over the past century, Spike had tasted the blood of two slayers who were experienced. She was nothing more than a popular girl who hadn't broken a nail up until that point.

Spike found her with ease. He stalked her like a lion would his prey. And they fought. Buffy fought the only way she knew how...by using her new found strength. She was strong. That had been her only weapon in the early stages of being The Slayer. The only women in the world who had the strength of a hundred men.

And then she let her guard down. Buffy found herself beneath his grasp, his tight grip squeezing her neck until it nearly popped. And even in her near death state, she didn't fail to notice that he was beautiful. Out of the handful of vampires she had seen, he was the only one that fought her without the ugly bumps on his face.

Spike had cocked his head to the side and stared at her deeply. His grip continued but something, almost human it seemed, had crossed his features.

Seeing him beside her now, with his long black duster and platinum blond hair, it took her back to the first time they interacted.

Los Angeles, ten months ago

_"How old are you, Slayer?" he asked. She couldn't answer as his fingers continued there violent assult on her windpipe. He let his grip loosen slightly, but made sure he remained in control. _

_"Old enough," she ground out._

_He had just smiled...a heart stopping smile. Why was she focusing on her killer's looks when she should be finding a way out of his deadly clutch?_

_"Really. Tell me." His british accent was endearing. It pulled her in like a siren._

_"Fifteen."_

_And at that, he had let her go. She coughed as her lungs began filling back up with air._

_"They make 'em that young, do they?" He lit a cigarette and plopped down on the grass next to her._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"I never ran into a slayer your age before."_

_"Funny. Merrick told me I'll be lucky to make it to 25 so I figured younger was the norm."_

_"Merrick?"_

_"He calls himself my watcher."_

_He puffed on his cigarette._

_"How's it working out for you so far?"_

_"Why are you asking me questions instead of ripping my heart out?"_

_Spike simply shrugged. "I'm a little bothered but I don't know why."_

_"I'm not good enough to kill?" Buffy asked while folding her arms in a huff._

_He chuckled. "That's not it, luv. You're plenty good enough to kill. It's your bloody age that bothers me."_

_"You don't kill minors?"_

_"Now whose asking the questions?"_

_"Just curious. You started it."_

_Spike nodded his head and flicked his lit smoke twords her. "Hey, watch it! I just bought this skirt at the mall, like yesterday!"_

_"Like, sorry," he mocked._

_"Did you just seek me out to have words or are we going to finish this?"_

_"I've killed plenty of minors...plenty of babies infact. But they arn't suppose to fight me back. They are delicious to eat. I'm a veal kind of guy."_

_Buffy rolled her eyes and felt sorry for his countless victims that wern't lucky enough to fight him off._

_"The two slayers I've bested..." He paused while lifting off the ground and removing his long coat to dust it off. His black tshirt clung to his toned lean form, causing her breath to catch. He really was beautiful, no matter how sadistic he was._

_"I'd say they were around 20 and 30 years old. Old enough to have had a good lesson in slaying. You probably havn't had more than a few months."_

_"Try weeks," Buffy muttered._

_Spike lifted his brow...the brow with a white scar that seemed to mock her yet show interest in the being that she was._

_"Hmmm, that's what I'm talking about. I have no reason to end you when you can't even put a skilled fight into it."_

_"Hey!" she said jumping to her feet. "Merrick said I'm improving."_

_"Sure you are. You know how to kick high and hard but chances are that came from cheerleading more than training."_

_Buffy opened her mouth to protest and then quickly closed it when she realized that he was accurate in his assumption. _

_"I like you, um...what's your name?" _

_"Buffy."_

_"No, really."_

_"What's wrong with Buffy?" She pouted out her bottom lip. Something she perfected over the years to get her way when it came to Daddy._

_"Not a thing. I can guarantee I will never forget your name."_

_"When you come back to kill me and have a better fight?"_

_He lit another cigarette. Buffy wagered he was a chain smoker. _

_"You're too pretty to die. I'll grab the next slayer."_

_Buffy stiffened her spine but on the inside she was full of excitement at his compliment._

_"Too pretty or too young?"_

_"Both," he winked. "Tell you what Slayer..."_

_Spike made his way twords Buffy, causing her to register a fight deep within. He was still a dead and deadly creature who was created to be her enemy._

_"You and I, we can have something special."_

_"Meaning?" _

_"I'll be around. I found you easily enough; I'll find you again and again. But let's have a truce."_

_"A truce. You want me to make a deal with a demon?"_

_"Not a deal, just a truce. You and I together can be a dangerous combination. I help you, you help me."_

_"How can you help me?"_

_"Oh, Buffy. You're just starting and you will encounter things that only appear deep within your nightmares. And I'll be there to help you fight the evil."_

_"What's in it for you?"_

_Spike reached out and touched a lock of her golden hair, causing every fiber in her body to shake._

_"I just want to help you make it past 25. I have an eternity to slaughter slayer after slayer. You have a fire that I never saw in either of my opponents. A fire that needs to be lit longer and stronger than any slayer there ever was." He backed up from her and replaced his duster around his body. "Your not too bad to look at either. I can get use to watching you grow up."_

_Buffy soaked up everything he had said. If she teams up with him, it would be one less enemy she would have to defeat. One less threat against her that she didn't have to worry about._

_"Truce."_

_And with that he left with a promise he would find her again. _

He had came back to her two short months later, no major threat in sight. He had simply 'missed her fire.' And so they were a team. And after her parents divorce, he followed her to Sunnydale, the hellmouth. She wanted to escape her slayer ways, hoping that the move would make her invisible and blend in against the evil. Spike had said nothing about her desire to quit, but let her believe for a fraction in time that she really could.

And then she met Giles, and it was apparent that her destiny was a life time, however long her life may be. Now she had her Scooby Gang, they called themselves. And she still had her Spike, ready and willing to fight by her side just like he promised.

Buffy hated his lover of a century to the core; the only thing that really bothered her about Spike. He wouldn't let her stake the crazy witch. It was obvious he was in love with a pure lunatic. But in turn, Drusilla was her name, wanted Buffy's blood just as much as Buffy wanted her dusted but Spike wouldn't let that happen either. He was torn between the two. Two different bonds that he was unwilling to part with.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come out, come out wherever you are?" Buffy sing-songed while hoping on one one foot as she twirled a stake in her hands like it was a miniature baton.

"That really work, luv?"

"Actually," Buffy paused to ponder his question. "It does."

Spike rolled his eyes and leapt onto a nearby tomb stone. "My kind really can be stupid I guess."

"You guess right."

"And besides," Spike lit a cigarette like he always did. When he failed to have smoke rising from between his fingers, Buffy found it odd. "We're not fighting vampires tonight. It's a demon you're after."

"I know," Buffy stopped rotating her stick and literally skipped over to him. "But Mr. Pointy gets lonley if I keep him stashed away for more than a day. And vampires come out of nowhere when you least expect it."

Spike coughed. "Mr. Pointy? Bloody hell." He cursed in that british way of his as the stick bounced up and down between his lips.

"What!? He's my biggest ally. I couldn't very well _not_ name him...and people name there car's all the time so why can't I name my weapon?"

"Alright," he began taking a long drag. "Then why not something like Jack or Bill...or even Spike?"

"Conceited much? I'd get too confused if you were both named Spike anyway," she adverted her gaze and began checking her surroundings for danger."

"And if you have failed to notice, I'm a girl even if I can kick your ass. Mr. Pointy isn't such an odd name when you think of it that way."

"I've noticed," he muttered barely above a whisper while tilting his head to the side in that way she had come to anticipate. His looks always unsettled her. Especially when he smirked, showing genuine affection.

He was still a mystery to Buffy. It was pushing a year with him in her life and she still failed to fully know him. Spike didn't have a soul. He was a corpse who looked human and only walked around at night.

Giles was shocked about Spike when she came to Sunnydale and he was to be her new Watcher since Merrick had committed suicide in order to save Buffy. Slayers' wern't suppose to have friends or allys. They were to work alone and live a dangerous, short, and destitute existence. He was appalled about Spike. Her greatest fighting partner was the one thing she was sworn to fight against. And then Xander and Willow entered the picture. It was a full on Demon Defeating Club. That was almost what it was like...a club.

Giles was the President, Willow the Vice President, Xander was the meaningless member who came to meetings to cut class and you let him tag along so he felt like he really was helping, and Buffy and Spike went out on the feild to keep their 'club' top secret and safe.

Giles had specifically told her on numerous occations that Spike was the naturally sworn enemy and she was made to kill him and vice versa. Xander always thought of ways to put Spike down, Willow cowered into a shell when he was needed at a 'meeting' if more man power was necessary, and Giles tolerated him. It was a never ending cycle of 'kick the Spike'. Yet, he stayed by her side.

"Why do you stay by my side?" Damn. She always did have a way of speaking what was on her mind.

"We've been over this, Buffy."

"I know. Our truce, I'm too young and pretty, blah blah blah."

Spike just chuckled and crushed his smoke beneath his heavy black boot as he stood once again. "Why are you asking me then?"

"Xander, Willow, and Giles. They hate you and you put up with it."

He shrugged and placed his hands deep into the pockets of his leather duster, a coat that belonged to the last slayer he killed. It was a story that he told her one night as they reminisced about past experiences, though her's had been a short list since she hadn't really lived at all yet. "Because they mean something to you."

His answer was full of embarrassment as he looked away when he spoke. Soon he recovered and became collected once more. "But maybe you're right. I should kill Giles, eat you're boy and Red, and be done with it."

"Just like I should put Mr. Pointy to use and get rid of Drusilla."

They both chuckled because they knew neither were serious.

But Buffy and Spike weren't always carefree with eachother the way they were acting in this moment. They still fought. He would taunt her and she would punch him. And then he would strike back and the battle was on. It was a futile battle that would end without a victor.

It was for sport; bottled up frustration. They both had come close to ending the other, but when that moment would arise, they let up and the fight would cease.

"We are from such different worlds, Spike," Buffy whispered while looking deep into his eyes. He half smiled once more and ran a cool finger down the side on her face.

"That we are, luv. But I'll always have your back...just like now.'

"Just like now." She repeated as a strong presence was felt from behind. She lifted into the air with a grunt, placing her hands onto the eight foot demons shoulders, and balanced for a moment before completing her back flip off the unworthy opponent.

Buffy did what she did best, her platinum blond Big Bad by her side.


	3. Chapter 3

Spike winced, yet welcomed the pain as Drusilla snaked a sharp fingernail down his chest and licked the red trail.

"It makes no sense, Spike. Why do you lock me down here in a dungeon while you play with the Slayer?"

"We've been over this, Dru."

"Shh," she hushed in a quick motion. "You promised to make me well and strong so I can hunt once again. Shutting me down here with my dollies and nothing but the company of angels in my head taunting...teasing...telling me I'm nothing. Makes me feel worse, Spike."

Spike turned on his side and looked at Drusilla. She was clinically insane but the only constant in his entire existance. She was everything to him and seeing her worse than ever was not something he relished. Still, he was rooted to Sunnydale because of a 5'3'' , 105 pound preppy superhero.

He would never admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, but each tussel was a complete turn on. He'd never felt anything like it.

He hated the hold that Buffy had on him. If Spike was the only one involved, the grip that grasped him would be welcomed. But he did have Drusilla to consider. She needed to travel, see the world, and somehow drain the voices from her head.

He had considered leaving Sunnydale several times, but every time he did it brought him back to that first night...the first night he nearly bagged his third Slayer. When he arrived in Los Angeles, he found her so easily that he was sure it was a mistake. It was the first ounce of doubt he had before going up against a born demon killer.

And when they fought, she had her own style but lacked discipline.

Her strength was lethal but it had taken him no more than five minutes to have her restrained beneath him, her pulsating throat clutched tightly within his black tipped grasp. But as his deadly embrace squeezed tighter, she looked at him with the prettiest green eyes he'd ever seen.

It was the first time he almost felt human.

He had to release her, only to realize that she was a lot younger than he anticipated. The hunt was no longer fun. She wasn't technically skilled like the Boxer Rebellion Slayer and the New York girl had a stylish flare added with a death wish. Now thoughs girls; they were fun to drain the life out of.

"You're thinking about her arn't you?" Drusilla whined like she was about ready to cry.

She brought Spike out of his remembrance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Dru. Now why don't I go catch you something to eat. It'll make you feel better."

Spike rose from the bed and slipped on his jeans, buckling his belt. He turned back to his lover noticing she was rocking back and forth with her hands to her head.

"I want someone to eat, someone I can drink who will put me back in my right mind."

"You were never in your right mind, Dru. It's just your strength that's lacking."

"Bring her to me, Spike. I havn't had the blood of a Slayer since the turn of the century. Almost forgot what it tastes like."

Spike sighed and put on his favorite ensemble. "I promised you the next one, luv. Another decade or so won't kill you when you have went nearly a hundred years without."

"Promises, promises...promises broken," she tisked while making a naughty naughty signal with her fingers.

He had broken a lot of promises to her recently. He needed to do the right thing. Fix what was breaking right before his eyes.

"Your right, luv," Spike muttered.

He turned his back and sped out of the dank hole in the earth. The promises that were spoken were weighing heavy on him. After so much time, he had handed the world to Drusilla on a silver platter. It was something she expected from him.

He had a feeling that it was his rebellion that haunted her more than anything.

And then there was his promise to Buffy. Granted, he spoke of helping her make it past the expectant age of 25 but he never said that he would _never _leave her side. Maybe a year or two to take Drusilla across the world would put everything right and in perspective.

But what if something happened to Buffy in that short amount of time? Two years to him was like an hour...two years for her was like a decade.

Instead of hunting for a young victim to take back to the dark dungeon, he walked to 1630 Revello Drive.

Maybe if Spike saw Buffy, he would know what to do.


	4. Chapter 4

"Spike?"

"Buffy." Spike strolled into her house like he had so many nights before and walked into the kitchen. Reaching into the refrigerator, he grabbed a cold chicken leg.

"Won't you come in and make yourself at home." He didn't fail to notice the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

He grinned as he chewed. "Never heard a complaint before. Where's your mum?"

"She out on a date."

"Good for her. Joyce is a nice lady. You're father's a bloody idiot for letting that one go."

"Are you jealous? Would you like me to ask my mother out for you?" She crossed her slender arms underneath her breast and looked at him with a mocking gaze.

"Hmmm, not a bad idea."

"Even if there are times that I like you, having you as my step father sounds kind of...ehhh," she shuddered.

"Rather have me for yourself, ah?" Spike wiggled his eyebrows as he took another bite and sat on the counter.

"Let me think about that, mmmmm, no."

"And what's wrong with me?" He was still trying to keep the mood on a light note but his ego stung a bit.

"Nothing, except for the fact that you're totally old and have sex with a nasty psycho."

"Well," he tossed the chicken bone into the sink. "As long as it's not me."

They shared one of the many looks that only crossed between them and no one else ever got between.

He leaned onto the island. "So tell me," Spike began. "Why do you have a pound of make-up on and your pretty legs are taunting me in that mini skirt."

Buffy smirked and then turned to walk down the hallway. "Meeting someone at the Bronze tonight."

"Meeting someone?" he followed her immediately. "Is this someone, as in a Scooby, or someone, as in a horny teenage boy?"

"None of your business." That answered his question.

"Arn't you a little young to be dating?"

"What! No. I had a boyfriend in Los Angeles and besides...I'm sixteen now." Buffy put on a leather jacket. "It's okay for me to risk my life everyday but not my virtue?"

"Well," he studdered in between words. "Ya."

"Why are you so obsessed with my age anyway?"

"Don't know," he shrugged. "Guess it's hard to imagine that a little girl can best me so easily. Makes me feel like a poof."

"Then I've done my job."

Opening the door, they entered the cool night air and began strolling in the direction of the Bronze.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked, puzzled.

"Thought I'd check out the happening scene myself. Could go for some dancing and a snack. They taste better when they've been munching on buffalo wings and beer."

"Spike." She stopped.

"Buffy." He mocked.

"Arn't you forgetting that I'm the Slayer?"

"No, I havn't. You remind me every bleedin' night."

"I am sworn to protect the innocent. I told you not to let me see you eat anyone or I'll have to take action."

"Action? Ya, right," he started walking again. She quickly followed. "You'd never be able live without me."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

And then he was knocked to the ground. She flipped him onto his back and a stake was planted straight at his heart. "Wanna find out? Are you feeling lucky?"

Spike gave a slow grin up at her. She was straddled around his waist, a look of challenge in her eyes. But it wasn't a look to kill.

"Do it."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Mmm, lot better than before. You're worthy to fight now, luv. If you dust me atleast I won't go to the other side ashamed of the way I died."

"Do you think compliments are going to get you out of this?"

"I was hoping."

"It is your lucky day." She rose from his body, her pink heart underwear making an appearance while he still laid flat on his back. Spike smiled, knowing that she didn't plan on getting any that night or she wouldn't have put on a twelve year old's pair of panties.

"Anyway," she turned her head to the side so he could hear her clearly. She was already twenty steps away but he turned up his hearing to make out what she was saying. "Did you want something when you rudely barged into my home tonight?"

Spike had wanted something. He wanted to see Buffy so he could make a clear decision on whether to stay in Sunnydale or take Drusilla away from the Hellmouth.

"Nope! Just wanted you to see me! It would be rude for me to deny you my presence!"

She waved a hand, indicating that she had heard him.

"See you soon, Slayer," he declared quietly into the night, knowing she couldn't take in what he was saying. He spoke the words more for himself than for her.


	5. Chapter 5

BANG BANG BANG

"Sod off!" Spike rolled his eyes while lifting a beer to his lips. It was 2 in the afternoon and 'house calls' were not part of his agenda for the day.

Drusilla had apparently wondered off last night and he was worried sick. The possibility of her finding shelter before daybreak was slim. She wasn't right in the head. Chances were she laid down in the middle of the road and burst.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

"Ehhh, bloody hell!"

He ran up the steep steps to the heavy steel door. Unlatching the many locks, he cautiously peered out into the sunlight.

The door was torn from his grasp and a stream of unwanted day filtered in, causing his skin to smoke. He stumbled backwards and shook off the pain until it began to heal instantly.

"Oh look who it is. Buffy's boy. Are you making a personal visit or has Blondie sent you on a mission to make yourself feel useful."

"Hey! I am nobody's _'boy' _and I was involuntarily told..._asked_, to come and get you."

"Right," Spike descended the steps and put on a red button down shirt over his normal black tee. "You fetch like a dog. So that would make you...Buffy's bitch."

"I'm Buffy's bitch!?" Xander laughed one big 'Ha' and then made to mock Spike by using a terrible british accent. "Hello helpless baby victim. I'm mean and scary and will not hesitate to kill you, but I have to check with the Slayer first. If Buffy gets mad at me, I just couldn't bare to go on living as the nasty evil undead creature that I am."

"I sound nothing like that and I think you should leave...bitch." Spike lifted his chin and went to sit down on the king sized canopy bed with a Victoria aesthetic. He crossed his right ankle over his left knee to appear in control, but it backfired. The red satin comforter had him slipping off and down to the floor.

He ungracefully plopped onto the concrete, his pride taking a beating.

"Right then," Spike said with a bit of zest. "Meant to do that. I decided I don't want to sit down just yet." He sprinted to his feet and sniffed before taking a cigarette out of his favoite jacket that had been lying on a nearby chair. He needed to get some of his 'cool' back as quickly as possible.

Xander opened his arms in a silent sarcastic remark. "Okay...so can we go now?"

"If you havn't failed to notice, the sun is up. How do you expect me to get to the school in broad daylight without bursting into flames? Or is that your motive? Catch the competition on fire."

"Competition. What competition? You're 1,000 years old and eat people?"

"Ya, but..." Spike directed his gaze to the ground and thought. "She likes me more than you and it bugs the shit out of ya. And I'm only 124 thank you very much."

"No she doesn't."

"Does."

"Doesn't"

"Keep telling yourself that. Whatever makes you sleep at night."

"You are such a pain in the ass. What Buffy sees in you, I've no idea."

"Simple," Spike shrugged. "I'm incredibly charming and goodlooking. Now the question should be, what does Buffy see in _you?"_

"Well...I'm charming and goodlooking, too."

Spike lifted his brow in astoundment, "You must be joking."

"You know what, Spike? Nobody likes you."

"Buffy does. Good come back by the way, poof."

"I don't have time for this, even if Buffy does like me more," Xander snuck in quickly before jumping into the subject at hand. "Giles thinks that an impending apocalypse is brewing and he wants everyone; including, for some unknown reason, you, their to witness Buffy's first attempt at saving the world."

"Ah, so a little warm gathering to wish our little bombshell good luck, is it? Again," Spike was beginning to get agitated. "Why can't we wait until sundown for the shindig?"

"It's not a 'shindig.' It's preparation."

Spike nodded his head, glad they were finally getting somewhere. "From what?"

"Something called," Xander snapped his fingers trying to remember what Giles had said they were. "Dream Catchers...Dream Snatchers...Dark Shadows...Shadow Rider."

"Shadow Dreamers."

"Ya, that's it. Heard of 'em?"

"You live as long as me, mate, you hear of everything. 'Course you think most of it's a fairytale until it actually appears. Like...vampires for instance."

"Good. Let's go," Xander grabbed a pillow and took the case off of it, throwing it over Spike's paroxide bleached head.

"Great," Spike's voice muffled from beneath the light cover. "This will do the trick. I'll just walk out and let the fire start at my shoulders instead of head."

"Baby," Xander muttered. He pulled the red satin comforter off the bed and threw it at Spike.

"Fantastic. I've always loved traveling in style."


	6. Chapter 6

Giles removed his glasses and cleaned them.

"Shadow Dreamers are a set of mystical beings that invade our dreams, or rather nightmares. There are only 5 shadows known to exist and no known cases that they have even attacked. Well, that was until last night when Buffy encountered one."

"How do you know it just wasn't some crazy nightmare. What makes this any different? Maybe Buffy's finally lost her marbles from being the Slayer and she's mixing up her reality with fantasy." Cordelia filed her nails, always seeking a new way to put her two cents in where it didn't belong.

Giles responded, but only to reasure the Gang that there was an actual threat against them. "Like I said, they invade your dreams, but they don't _only _exist in your mind."

"Ya," Buffy chimed in. "I saw it when I was changing for bed last night. It crawled across my wall and when I went to touch it, it disappeared. After I fell asleep, their it was."

"What'd it do?" Willow asked concerned.

"Nothing," Buffy shrugged. "It just seemed to be observing me. I had my guard up to attack but it never threatened me physically."

"Yet." Giles walked around the long table and sat on its' surface between Buffy and Willow. "It feels threatened. It was sizing up its competition for the battle."

"So it will only attack Buffy and...you want the rest of us to watch her sleep so we can pour a bucket of water on her when she starts thrashing about?" Xander needed to keep his two cents to himself just like Cordelia did.

"Buffy is the biggest threat. She's physically strong enough to attack, capture, and kill them. Luckily, only one Shadow can invade a person at any one time."

"You said that they attack when there's a threat. The rest of us arn't threats so we won't experience it, will we?" Cordelia said in a panic.

"We are all involved because we help the Slayer to defeat the forces of evil," Giles inquired. "It will start with Buffy and then work its way into each and every one of our minds starting with the next biggest threat and so on and so forth until we are all defeated."

"H...how can it kill us if were only fighting in our dreams?" Willow asked.

"It's not actual dreams we'll be fighting in," Spike spoke up after having sat quietly since the lecture on evil began. Every eye turned to him. "It'll take hold of us soon after we fall asleep, before we even get deep enough to have actual dreams. It's more of an alternate reality than anything else. It'll create the environment it wants so it maitains the upper hand."

All the Scoobies looked at him dumbfounded. "What? I can be more than just a stealthy pair of fighting hands," Spike puffed out his chest. "I'm useful...unlike some people." His gaze turned to Xander.

"Hey, Spike," Xander said with false cheer. "How about you and I take a nice long walk in the park since the sun's so bright today. Maybe we'll run into a tree that has a really sharp branch sticking out from it, also."

"Settle down, boys," Buffy scolded.

Giles rose and began walking around the table once more, ignoring the arguing that was becoming more and more frequent. "Spike's right. They arn't actual dreams but they feel like dreams. Soon after you fall asleep, they enter your body whether it be through the mouth, nose, ears, eyes. An opening to get deep within your mind and take control."

"So how can it kill us?" Buffy repeated Willow's question.

"It doesn't. It captures you and keeps you prisoner inside your own mind. On the outside it will appear as a coma. To you...an alternate reality."

"Can we ever get out?" Cordelia asked a reasonable question.

"The only way to be released is to defeat all 5 shadows. Once you've been captured, you are no longer in 'the game' so to speak. It will be up to others to defeat them for you."

"Why attack now when they never have?" Buffy examined.

"I have a theory, but I can't be certain. You are the first Slayer to ever live on top of the Hellmouth. You threaten creatures that walk in Sunnydale. Most demons do come straight from the Hellmouth that reside in Sunnydale and it may appear that they feel an apocalyse would be better rather than you defeating there whole creation over centuries."

"Okay," Buffy rose from her chair and leaned on the back of Spike's. "How do I kill it?"

"Um, the myth says that you cannot kill it during their battle, only in your battle."

"That makes a lot of sense, Giles. Elaborate, please."

"You need to capture it in a similar way they do you. They capture you into a prison; you need to physically get a hold of them and will yourself to wake up. In turn they will become corporeal into our world instead of simple shadows on the wall and you can defeat them like any other demon."

Buffy nodded her head. "Gotcha. One more question."

"Yes?"

"What if neither of us wins?"

Giles stumbled before answering. "Nothing, I would imagine. You wake up like always and it will appear like nothing more than a dream."

And with that, everyone quietly left the library, fearing the inevitable sleep that would over take them.


	7. Chapter 7

"How ya doin' under there!?" Buffy yelled.

"I have a blanket over my head, not a bubble."

Buffy cracked up at the spectacle before her. Spike walking around in broad daylight with a red satin blanket over his head was hilarious. Maybe if it had been a regular dull color and not so big, she could make it the two miles to her house without holding her side from laughing so much. It was so huge that the bottom dragged behind him like the train of a wedding dress, his heavy black boots peeking out every so often.

"Dum, dum, du, dum," she hummed.

Spike stopped dead in his tracks and turned in the direction of her voice. He began speaking but his focus was a good twelve inches off the target.

"Is this funny to you, Buffy?"

"Duh, where have you been the last four blocks? And I'm over here."

He turned towards her voice. "It's bleedin' hot outside and I did this to come to a stupid Scooby meeting so show a bloke some respect."

Not paying attention to what he was saying, Buffy moved from her spot again.

"Over here, Spikey."

"Ehhh. Women!" He walked off, going in the direction that they had just come from. Buffy started laughing once again. She followed behind him, imitating his 'cool guy' walk before deciding to grab his arm and turn him around.

"Let go of me."

"You're walking in the wrong direction."

Spike got silent. Buffy could tell he was getting frustrated with her. Usually he loved how fun she could be, but apparently not at his expense.

"We just walked the last few minutes in the wrong direction?"

"Mmhmm."

"What part of bleedin' hot and respect did you not understand?"

"Lighten up," Buffy said. She locked his arms to his sides with a powerful hug. "Why do you have to be so grumpy today?"

"Ouch," Spike muttered as the grip tightened. "Either hug me like a normal person or get off me."

She pouted her bottom lip even though he couldn't see it. "But your the only one I can bear hug without breaking."

"How about we go patroling tonight and you can bear hug one of your victims till his head pops off."

Buffy seemed to contemplate that. "That sounds like a good idea, except no vampire hunting tonight. I have a dream to defeat."

They began walking in the direction of the Summer's residence once again, this time no laughing followed. It was evident they were trying to prepare for the Shadow Dreamers invasion. This was going to be a tricky one, trying to capture it inside your mind and drag it out into the world.

They reached the house and went inside. Spike rid himself of the heavy covering and let it fall to the floor. Buffy mounted the stairs and began jogging to her room.

"Come on, slow poke."

Buffy reached her bedroom and hid behind the door, waiting for him to enter. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. His bleached head came into view and she jumped out from behind the door.

"Rahhh!...Hey, what are you doing?"

Spike couldn't take a joke today. Before she could react, he lifted her over his head by her neck and thigh and threw her ten feet onto her bed. She was so stunned that a counteract wasn't registering.

They glared at eachother for several moments until he came closer and got right in her face. "Does it look like that I'm up for fun and games today, pet?"

"Probably...no?"

"No is right." Spike laid down on the bed beside her and rubbed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked, serious for the first time.

Spike sighed and gazed at her. He pulled on a strand of her blond hair. "I think Dru left me," he answered quietly.

At the news, Buffy's heart excellerated to a rate she tried to slow down. Could it be that easy? Buffy hated Drusilla and now she was gone.

"Calm yourself, luv."

"What do mean 'calm myself'?"

"Your hearts beating from excitement. I can hear and feel it."

"Well, it's no secret I don't like her."

"I know." He sat up and grabbed her thigh, squeezing it tight while she still laid on her side. "But her and I have always been together. I'm worried something might have happened and it's put a damper on 'fun time' for today."

Buffy tried to ignore the strange fluttering in her gut as his thumb rubbed back and forth on her bare skin. "I'm sorry," she muttered genuinely.

His smile was weak but it was a positive reaction nonetheless. "You're the reason she left me."

"What?" she asked puzzled. "What have I got to do with it?"

"She wanted me to kill you and bring her a snack made of Slayer blood. Also...she wanted to leave Sunnydale and I couldn't bring myself to go."

Buffy could hear the blood pounding in her ears. "Why couldn't you?"

The lines between Spike's brow furrowed as he looked at her funny. "You know why. I'm not sure why I feel this way, but I don't want to leave either of you."

Buffy tried to remind herself that Spike was a trusted ally; grown to be a good friend. But it was the first time that he put her on the same priority list as Drusilla, and it felt amazing. Buffy felt like she was the one winning this time because his devotion for her in one year was the same after spending over a century with the crazy Dru.

"I should go to sleep." Buffy barely spoke above a whisper.

"It's barely 5."

"The sooner I go in...the faster i come out."

Spike nodded his head and laid down on the pillow beside her.

"I'll be here when you wake up whether it's to help you fight or simply say good morning."

And with that, she closed her eyes and drifted off into a suprisingly peaceful slumber as a cool arm rested across her stomach.


	8. Chapter 8

Buffy & the Shadow

_"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Hmpf," Buffy grunted._

_She had been free falling moments before. The feeling of genuine fear present until she landed and realized she was alive. Oddly enough, the ground had broken her fall. Opening her eyes, a grey fog shrouded her body within it. Buffy rose to her feet and began walking; walking on a surface that had no solid form. She sunk deep with each step, its softness throwing her off balance._

_Lifting her gaze to the heavens, she realized the sky was not above her but rather beneath her feet. _

_She was walking on clouds._

_The 'sky' overhead was made up of buildings that threatened to fall. They were upside down and so tall they nearly reached her. Or was she the one that was upside down? She lifted her arms and attempted to touch one; not quite able to reach it, but so very close. In that moment, she realized she would have to plan her attack carefully. Tossing herself in the air to get around her opponent would prove difficult with so many solid forms keeping her grounded to the sky she walked on. _

_"Welcome, Slayer," A deep voice seethed with malice._

_Buffy quickly turned around and focused on the demon she was to be fighting, only it was rigorous to centralize it's form. It was a dark shadow. A configuration that blended into the the celestial darkness beneath their steps. It was coming towards her with careful intent on striking when it felt the time was right._

_The beast moved closer and closer. Buffy could clearly see that this creature was not solid, but a shadow like it had been on her wall. She could see through it's body but he had a thick form that would be possible to grab ahold of. _

_She feared that seizing him would prove impossible. What if he wasn't corporeal in his world, just like he wasn't in hers? _

_"What do you want from us?"_

_"The question should be...what do I want from you, Strong One."_

_"Then, what do you want from me?" she refrazed her question to appease the Shadow Dreamer._

_"Isn't it obvious? I want to defeat you the way you have so many of my minions."_

_"You can try," she ground out from within her teeth._

_The demon chuckled. His amusement was mocking._

_"I have been watching you for some time, Slayer. Hiding within the walls of where you dwell. That appalling building with foolish children walking around like they are invincible, your sleeping quarters where you dance around like a deranged...young girl, and the room full of reading material where you spend with your cohorts." _

_He was walking around her as he spoke. Buffy turned in a circle as it continued rounding her body, never taking her eyes from the target. _

_"My friends' have nothing to do with this."_

_"On the contrary, little one. Is it not true that if it had not been for them, you would know nothing about me? Think this was a dream you would soon wake from with no consequences? Know how I will defeat you? Know how you can try to defeat me?"_

_"Simple. I'll just lock you all into a nice wrestling hold and wait until I wake up then kick...your...ass."_

_"Us all?" it let out a hardy laugh, genuinly amused. "After tonight, we will will not visit you again until it becomes your turn in the rotation."_

_"Rotation?"_

_"Didn't your nerdy friend tell you. We will visit each and everyone of you until you all pose no threat against us any longer."_

_"Ya, I really didn't understand that. If there are 5 of you, then why not invade 5 of us in one night."_

_"Safer this way. If by chance one of us is defeated, the next can go in better prepared. This cycle will continue until you all are imobalized and we take your world into our own."_

_"If you kill me," Buffy said with caution. "Why end the world if you don't have a threat against you anymore?"_

_"Because your kind will continue to rise and defeat us. After centuries of watching this disgrace, we are done."_

_Buffy planted her hands on her hips and decided that she was beginning to have enough 'small talk.'_

_"Done like I am with listening to you talk? Or are we just going to stand here are all night? 'Cause gotta tell you, demon boy, your speech is more boring that Mr. Allen's Science lectures._

_The villian paused. "I was going for a threatening approach."_

_"Well, you gotta do better than that. I've went up against some nasty things... and you ain't one of them," Buffy walked within inches of the talkative fiend and whispered, "you don't even have horns. How threatening can you be?"_

_A blow struck her in the mid section and she flew backwards, the battle beginning._

Spike

Spike gazed upon Buffy's sleeping form, her expressions changing every so often like she was in the midst of a conversation. Chances were, she was.

He didn't want to touch her in fear of waking her up too soon. He contemplated shaking her awake if any sign appeared that she was in distress. It hadn't occured to Spike that she might physically give off signs that she was fighting until her body moved slowly in sleep. Her hips would rise from the mattress, her head would move side to side as if she was following something with her eyes.

He knew that the demon was with her. He had watched it climb from the ceiling and onto the wall behind them, pausing to look at Spike. It's head cocked to the side before coming out of the wall in a mist and entering the opening of her slightly parted lips.

And how would he be able to tell if she was being afflicted or if she was the one doing the harm? He couldn't. As much as he hated the thought, Buffy would have to be alone with this one. Only she can take hold of her destiny and run with it.

He noticed that her brow no longer furrowed in frustration but relaxed and a tiny smile lifted the left corner of her mouth. That unique mouth that he loved so much. She was even more beautiful when she slept, if that was even possible. This way he was able to observe her without being scrutinized for his gawking.

But as much as he relished the thought of taking advantage of the situation, he willed himself to once again focus on her movements. She had stopped the slow turning of her head and her body stilled like a statue.

Spike began to slowly panic. What if the small movements had been the battle itself and she was defeated, stuck in an alternate universe that held her prisoner? The only other member of Buffy's accomplices were worthless when it came to battle, besides himself. Buffy needed to come back with a Shadow Dreamer caught within her hold and kill it so she can defeat the rest.

His mind wondered to the others. Willow couldn't fight with her computer, Giles couldn't throw a book at the damn thing, Xander would try to nag it to death, and Cordelia would run screaming. It was pathetic when you think about it.

Spike drew his knees up and put his elbows on top, clasping his fingers together. This fight was going to be a big pile of 'defeat the humans' shit.

He was brought back to reality by the slight moving of Buffy once again. He sighed in relief, even if she was still stuck within her mind. And then she did something that was almost exorcist like. Spike inched back from her rising form.

The still sleeping Buffy lifted off the bed slowly, rising about five feet in the air. Spike rose from where he sat and stood onto of the bed, gazing down at her. Her face gave away no expression.

What was going on in there?

And without warning, she sped downward at a dangerous pace until she landed, her body thrashing and involuntarily vibrating.

Buffy & the Shadow

_The landing had been soft like she anticipated but another shocking hit struck her across the back of her head before she fully lifted her form. The shadow was strong, no doubt. Buffy would duck, only to be struck once again. It was a never ending cycle. It was fast and the fury evident. _

_The strong grip lifted her over it's head and threw her body into a brick wall that hung above them, crumbling part of the structure._

_Her body ached but it only lasted moments...just as it would in a dream._

_Rising from within the debris that began to clean itself up from around her, sinking into the clouds and disappearing, she sought out what she desperately looked for._

_For the first time since it began, Buffy fully saw it coming towards her. She had to think, wonder how she would use her surroundings to better benefit herself rather than the entity. Moments before it struck, she lifted her body inbetween two buildings and braced herself tight within its' hold. _

_She began to climb._

_The Shadow Dreamer climbed with her, following closely at her feet. Buffy climbed faster... it was nearly like she was flying. The demon seemed to be in a panic at it desperately grabbed for her feet to pull her down to the uneven surface below. _

_The panic was a good incentive that she had caught onto something; something it didn't want her to find. The higher she got, the easier it became to climb. She no longer had to rely on strength alone to ascend. Bar holds were sticking out, begging for her to latch on and use them to her advantage._

_She climbed faster, but so did her opponent. The ending of her endless journey upward was so close, she could feel it. The last twenty feet took her by suprise. A current crasped her and she was lifted by a strong burst of wind. _

_Her hair flew around her as she watched the shadow caught up into the same cycle, following her into a battle that would soon become her's. She landed on the bottom of the building because it had no ground holding it up...or down would it be? The surface beneath her was dirt but solid. Solid was all she asked for._

_It was as if her eyes had opened up. She could feel the demon, just like as if she were fighting it in her own world. It was coming from behind, ready to attack unfairly. _

_She waited._

_It was closer now. When the moment felt right, she turned and blocked the deadly blow. The indistinguishable feautures looked momentarily stunned. The tables had turned and the bastard knew it._

_"Now its my turn, bitch."_

_She struck with a kick to the midsection; the villian flew backwards. It was possible to show this thing who was in control. She chased after it, vowing not to let it get ahold of her. _

_It punched, she ducked. She did a roundhouse kick to the head and knocked it to the ground. Unfortunately, the creature had stammana and it rose for more. _

_Buffy somersaulted out of the way and went completely tae bo on his ass. _

_One...two...three...four. She struck like lightening, never easing up to give him one moment to escape. Black streaks of liquid coated her hands. Blood of a Shadow Dreamer. _

_It was encouraging. She was doing damage to it which had been her goal since the beginning. She no longer bothered to kick or flip. She would leave the 'fancy' moves that she used to impress...mainly Spike, back in the real world. _

_Right now it was no more than her fist connecting with a frosty form. It's being was ice cold._

_One...two...three...four. And then he fell. Fell so hard that the building beneath her began to quake. The ground split like a earth quake, shaking them. She could see her demon beginning to fall through the crack underneath it's form. _

_She couldn't let it get away. Flying through the air, she grabbed hold on it, clenching it around the neck tightly as they began descending hundreds of feet. The free fall was worse than the first one had been. The demon was trying to get away from her but she held fast. _

_They should have reached the clouded floor moments ago but the descend was not ending._

_What if they were falling to Hell? The thought terrified her but still she held fast._

_And then it happened. A choking feeling like something was trying to crawl out of her._

_She gasped for air, but still she held tight. The form within her hold was diminishing, the form getting smaller and smaller. It was as even something on the other side was pulling it away from her tight hold. Now all she held within her hands were it's legs; still she refused to let go._

_Then it was gone._

And suddenly, she could breath. She gasped for air as her eyes opened. Standing before her was Spike with the Shadow Dreamer once again taking a beating; this time from the Big Bad that always had her back instead of from herself.

She was weak. Buffy lifted from the bed and slowly made her way to their forms in the room that was darkening from the setting sun. She kicked the back of it's knee until it fell before them. Spike hunched down to hold it in place.

"Care to do the honors, luv?" He asked her with a look of awe of his face.

"Gladly."

Buffy snapped it's neck in one quick motion.


	9. Chapter 9

"How was your date last night?"

Buffy smiled into Spike's shirt as he continued rocking back and forth in the la-z-boy at Gile's house; a chair that her Watcher never occupied. A pair of 4 eyes occationally looked their way with a bewildered gaze, but she didn't care. Up until that point, Buffy had never encountered anything so violent. It was always easy to defeat the enemy. Her mother wasn't aware she was the Slayer. Who else was going to offer the kind of comfort she craved? After she saw her first vampire less than a year ago, her parents had locked her away for two weeks until she stopped talking about it. Spike was the only one who knew of her previous experience in a mental institution.

In some odd way, it felt as if she simply got lucky. It had almost been like a video game and she found her way, by accident, to the exit that nobody else would have discovered. That was what scared her the most. Someone in this room was next. Not one member of her 'family' would survive, except for Spike perhaps, and he was a loose cannon. The Shadow Dreamers were too strong for someone who had no power.

"It was great," Buffy berated. Spike stiffened slightly and chose not to press her for more information but she could tell he wanted the details. "We danced, my dinner was paid for me, I took a minute to go Slay because you know the Bronze crawls with Vampires," she paused for effect. "And then Willow was a complete gentlemen and walked me home."

Spike came to a halt . Buffy could feel his head move to the side as he looked down at her and then his chest shook fro silent laughter; her grin widened.

"Good attempt at making me jealous, pet."

"Did it work?" she whispered.

He ran his finger's through her hair and failed to answer. Buffy hated the effect he had on her. In moments like these, it was hard to remember that he wasn't alive; that she killed the exact same thing he was every night.

But he acted like a man.

That was how Buffy first met Drusilla...maybe that was why she hated her so much. His movements during sex had been no different than if he were human. Why did he cloud her mind and make her forget what he really was? She couldn't understand how he could touch something so vile. Before she learned to hold her tongue, which she still had trouble with, she had blurted it out. Spike looked offended but soon his features softened and he simple explained 'i love her'. But maybe that love was finally diminishing. It had been four hours since the Shadow Dreamers attack and he was still by Buffy's side. He wasn't out looking for his lover and sire.

At the remembrance that she aspired to forget, Buffy burrowed herself deeper into his chest to rid the unwanted images that wracked her brain. She could feel his cool lips kissing the top of her head. They had their rocky moments, but it was times like these that kept her from letting him go. She needed him; something that she failed to fully express to Spike or any of the Scoobies.

"You're alright." Buffy stated as a fact.

"You have your moments, too, Buffy."

His rocking continued, his left hand resting between her closed thighs while his right wrapped around her mid section; his thumb moving in a rubbing motion, stopping just below her breast. She focused on her breathing. Damn him for being a vampire because he could always tell when she was nervous, her heart beat betraying her.

And even though Buffy could feel it accelerating, he had the decency for a change to not mention it.

"Interesting!" Giles voiced. Everyone jumped slightly as the undercover librarian took his glasses off and cleaned them like he did so often.

"What is?" Willow asked while popping a peice of extra buttery pop corn into her mouth.

"This Shadow Dreamer. He is completely transparent yet you can touch it."

"Yes, Giles," Xander said with sarcasm. "We have established that the evil thing on your dining table is a grim reaper wannabe who can't stay out of peoples' business when they sleep." He tipped back his third mountain dew, refusing to go to sleep.

"Xander," Giles began.

"Ya?"

"Shut up." The older man moved back to the demon. "We have 4 more to defeat. A strategy would be nice; taking in the information that Buffy shared about her experience, we finally have something to go on."

"You can't defeat it." Buffy spoke in a hushed tone but not too quiet that nobody heard her.

"See," Xander jumped from the couch. "I'm never sleeping again."

"Uh, Buffy?" Giles walked closer to the chair. Buffy sat up but she still remained on Spike's lap. "I know that it will prove difficult for the rest of us, but possibly there is a scenario we can all come up with."

"Their fast, Giles. The blows are excruciating and the world it creates is unfair to any one it goes up against it. I believe that there will always be a way out, but it's finding that way that's going to be the problem. I got lucky and that was it. I found the exit by accident. I got the upper hand...by...accident."

The room got eerily quiet as Buffy's perspective came to life for all of them. The sound of Cordelia sobbing was the only noise to be heard.

Buffy rose to her feet and knew what she had to do. She wasn't great at giving motivational Slayer speeches. She chose her words carefully.

"They can't kill you...only immobilize your body. We can't stay awake forever and it will take hold of each and every one of us until we are all it's victims or we defeat the four that remain. I'm not going to sugar-coat the inevitable. Chances of any of you getting out on your own is slim, but I will never give up on any one of you. I...will...get...you...out. It said nothing about who was next. Even if Giles said that they will pick the next strongest, it mentioned non of that to me. Just a rotation. It can be anyone of you so I suggest checking your surroundings, use your brain, and look for the most unlikely place where you can get out. I had to scale upwards between two buildings. But like a dream, it was easier than it would be normally. I'm not promising a miracle because chances are...you won't find it" Buffy shrugged her shoulders and her voice changed to sound more casual "I mean, a fluke could happen. If you get a strong feeling like you're on top, catch it off guard the best you can and hold on tight. Preferably on its back because it will have no problem pushing you off."

"Ho...how long did you hold on for?" Willow spoke up.

"It was a free fall. After several hundred feet, I began to get a choking feeling. It turned out it was because he was exiting out of my mouth, where he entered. If you feel pain, it's actually a good thing. And keep remember than you can't die. If there is a way to push him off a cliff, mountain,...anything; take advantage of it. But go down with it or it won't work."

"Well," Xander rubbed his hands together. "I sure hope it doesn't enter through my eye socket."

Buffy snickered. "It's time for everyone to go to sleep. I'll keep watch and be here to help pull it out if any of you succeed. If not, I will get you out," she repeated.

"Hey, shouldn't Peroxide boy go to sleep, too?" Xander said as he burrowed into his sleeping bag on the floor.

"I can't risk loosing, Spike yet. He needs to help me when I go back in."

"But like you said," the dark haired boy continued. "We can't stay awake forever."

Spike spoke up. "Lighten up, bitch boy. I'm a vampire. If I don't sleep, it won't kill me. I sleep because it feels good, not because it's necessarily a necessity."

Xander just rolled his eyes and reluctantly closed his eyes. Buffy could tell that each one of them were trying not to be the first to go to sleep, though each of their eyes were shut. Nearly an hour past as she sat on the floor, observing each one as Spike scanned the walls for a shadow.

"It takes advantage soon after you drift off, Buffy. Pretty sure no one is cooperating."

"Shut it, Spike," Xander answered. Buffy sighed.

"All you guys are doing is putting it off," she explained. "Now...go...to...sleep."

Twenty minutes past and then she heard Spike coming out of Giles bedroom, his steps slow and steady. She turned her gaze to him and saw what he was observing. A crawling shadow drifted across the wall, picking its next victim. He followed it into the small kitchen. "It's gone," he muttered.

"No it's not," she answered. "It sunk into the wall and came out the other side."

The shadow didn't move; it seemed to be waiting. It was picking who was next, its head drifted to each of the 4 people that lay on the floor. And then it slowly misted out of its shell, appearing as a thick grey fog of smoke.

Buffy's eyes followed it to the desired destination it picked. She knew who had been chosen for the second battle. Crawling on the floor, she watched it enter.

It slowly disappeared it's long stream into the ear canal and vanished.

Cordelia's body slowly started to move.

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the followers and nice reviews I have received so far. I plan on this story turning out to be pretty long because I have another story line I wish to explore later on. Please continue to read and enjoy.  
P.S. The Spuffy love will pick up:D **


	10. Chapter 10

**Cordelia & the Shadow**

_Cordelia could feel the blinding pain rack the back of her head as she landed. _

_"You have got to be kidding me?" She muttered. Why would she be the one chosen to go next? She had been sure it would be Willow or Giles. That was why she had fallen into an easy sleep. It back fired._

_Lifting her hand to the pounding spot, she touched it and looked at her fingers. Watery blood dripped down her hand and onto her forearm. It was watery because she had landed in a damp and dim environment. Cracks of light shown above her, giving off enough glimmer to see where she anchored._

_It was a long tube that encompased her. The water beneath her was shallow but flowing in a steady stream. _

_"Ahhhh!" A rat ran across her new pumps. "Great. Buffy gets to walk on clouds and I'm stuck with sewer rats. How is that even fair...or logical?"_

_The stench around her was so real. _

_Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disgust and ran fingers vigorously through her damp hair. She looked like a drowned rat...no pun intended._

_"Do you not have bigger problems to focus on other than your appearance?" The voice was coming from infront of her, though she couldn't make out the form. She was given so little light. _

_"I do make it a priority. How else would I be so popular?" _

_Cordelia searched her brain for what Buffy had said in the long drawn out speech. She wasn't one to usually listen to 'little miss, listen to me, or you'll die' but this really was a matter of importance._

_Buffy had said things along the lines of: Check your surroundings, use your brain, and look for an unlikely place to get out. But she had to drag the damn demon with her._

_"How do you plan to defeat me? I do love a good laugh every now and then."_

_Cordelia knew that she was pretty good at cat fights and pulling hair. "I'm great at scratching and hair pulling."_

_It laughed at her. "Poor, poor, immature child. Your friend had a good day, but I'm afraid that you...will not be as lucky."_

_"First of all," Cordelia said as she followed the entity that became visible as it walked back and forth underneath the stream of light. "Buffy...not my friend. And second, you don't know who you are dealing with, demon boy. I am leader of the Cordettes and am the one in charge...most of the time." She was wagging her finger in the shadows face as she gave it the attitude she was known for._

_"The Cordettes?" _

_"Ya," she said like it was obvious who they were. "My posse."_

_"If the Slayer is not your friend, then why are you always with her."_

_"Because we live on the Hellmouth and there are some seriously scary things walking around. I find it useful to have her around when I'm being chased by vampires and drippy disgusting things."_

_He chuckled deep within his throat. "I find it odd that you have any friends at all. You are most unpleasant."_

_"I'm unpleasant?" Cordelia said exasperated. "Pretty sure you're not going to win Homecoming King any time soon. You're just a sad and pathetic loser who is unpopular and takes it out on innocent people to make yourself feel better about the disaster that...is...you."_

_"Errrr," the demon growled. She could feel his breath on her face. His features were not clear but the darkness within him was apparent. "I'll give you a head start. I'm going to enjoy the chase."_

_While he talked, Cordelia removed the pink pumps on her feet, preparing to flee. She backed up several feet from the oppressed presence, and ran through the maze. _

**Giles' Place**

Everyone centered their gazed on Cordelia. Her expressions were sour like they always were. Spike had already informed Buffy of what had transpired when she was inside her mind. She figured that the prissy girl was giving the demon a peice of her mind.

Xander was resting near the moving body, watching with intent. It was obvious to everyone that their was some serious crushing going on between the two, even if they denied it themselves. Cordelia and Xander were on 'different levels' when it came to popularity. The dark haired girl refused to even be seen with any of them, despite the fact the they save her butt all the time. Just like they were willing to do if the need arose tonight.

Everyone stayed silent, crowding around her form. Spike hunched down low and whispered in Buffy's ear so he didn't disturb the spectacle before them. "I'm going to go out for a little while. I'll be back before sunrise."

Buffy whipped her gaze to look at him. He already placed his long duster onto his body, prepared to go. "Where are you going?" she asked, already knowing the answer. He dipped his head low and gave her a smile, knowing that she could never be mad when he looked at her that way. He was manipulating her into forgiving him before he even left.

"I'll be back," he repeated. Rising from his crouch, he walked to the door and opened it. Buffy ran after him, not something she would normally do.

"Why are you so worried about her? She left you because she didn't want you anymore. Why bother going after her?"

Spike simply looked at her and came to stand two feet away. "She needs me."

"Are you sure about that? It looks to me like she's been playing you this whole time. I don't think she needs you at all. You need her."

Spike's form stilled. He looked at her with contempt. She flinched slightly but held her ground. His walk was slow as he approached the rest of the way and put his face inches within her own.

"She left me because of...you," he ground out. "If I had just left like she asked me, I wouldn't be going through this hell right now."

"An apocalypse would still be brewing whether you were part of it or not."

"Not the apocalypse. The hell of being caught between a crazy nut case and a freaky strong teenager who needs to mind her own business."

"You were the one that wanted to stay by my side. I was fully prepared to fight you back in Los Angeles." Her statement was in hushed tones.

"You're right," Spike tossed his hands up in the air as he spoke. "I could have killed you that night and you know it. Dru would be happy and I wouldn't be doubting every feeling I have ever felt since becoming what I am."

"What are the feelings you doubt?"

He just shook his blond head and breathed deep. "I need to find, Dru." He avoided her question.

"Then go! I don't need you here anymore to make me feel like I'm the reason you're miserable. I'm not going to be the one to hold you back," she was speaking between her clenched teeth.

His expression was full of sadness but he walked away. Walked away from the moment they just shared shortly before.

Buffy was in a daze as she walked back into the house, the door clicked behind her. And then she refocused her blurred gaze. Cordelia's body was beginning to thrash about, her battle taking off.

**Cordelia & the Shadow**

_She was running away from the demon that wanted to entrap her within this hell. Her lungs were burning from the exertion she was putting into escaping. _

_Why was this thing not attacking? Surly she was running for no reason. He could easily overpower her, but there was still a way out. Buffy made sure to let them each know they had a chance. _

_She scanned her surroundings as her bare feet began to bleed from the rough concrete beneath her. She had to keep her mind on the prize and focus. _

_Another path came into view and she turned into it, the long stretch being nothing more than another tunnel of filth. Still she continued. _

_"Are you finished trying to get away?" She paused. Panic was rising within her. Every where she went, it looked the same. How would she be able to gain the advantage and be released, bringing the demon with her?_

_"I...I'll nev...er be finished," she breath out as she tried to catch her breath. _

_It tisked at her, punishing like she was a child. "You are impertinent, arn't you?"_

_She thought for a second "I'm not sure what that means but I must be if you say I am."_

_Again the villian was beside her. "Are you ready for this?"_

_Cordelia refused to answer him; refused to give the satisfaction of answering. She braced herself for the assault. _

_A solid force struck her in the abdomen and she was thrust upward, bursting threw the surface and out of the dark hole that had held her captive. She continued floating upwards, the blinding light making her squint against its invasion. And then she was falling. The Shadow was clearly visible below her. It was waiting on her to descend upon it. The patience it shown was almost laughable considering the fight that he wanted so badly. _

_It was inevitable. As she got closer, he rose his fist and waiting. What was he going to do with an already extended fist?_

_The light no longer hurt her eyes. She looked away from her assailer and noticed a tower in the distance. A high vantage point that she would need to climb in order to defeat the creature. Deep within, she knew that that was her way out. A gut feeling that she was relying on._

_But as she looked down, it's fist still raised in the air, it dawned on her what it intended to do. _

_The tower continued to taunt her. It was right before her eyes and she would never reach it. _

_She was moments away now._

_The blazing pain caused her to shake as it's fist impailed her body. It was shoulder deep, making a whole in her stomach. Blood poured from her mouth as she took one last breath and sank into oblivion._


	11. Chapter 11

Spike sat outside Giles'. His head rested against a tree as the rising sun began to ascend the clowdless sky. It shown bright and brilliant as he kept a steady gaze upon it while hiding in the shade. He didn't miss being human. It wasn't something he had ever been very good at. William the Bloody was his true form. A name he associated with being a vampire far more than a pathetic mama's boy who's poetry was terrible.

But he was lying to himself. After years of convincing his illusive self that he needed nothing a human body could strive to give him, there were things he craved. Like the sun for instance. He missed its warmth that it offered without being a dangerous lighter with its taunting and cruel power.

Spike flinched as it continued the swell upward. He was beginning to feel the effect but held rooted to his spot. The sight was majestic. A purplish-pink hue tinted the light blue back drop. It was better than any painting could hope to capture.

But there was still more he longed for. The sun was a distant second to what he coveted. He always wanted a family. Some would say he had found that with Drusilla. Maybe even with Angelus and Darla. But that was a sired family. A fake kinship that was full of hatred and murder.

It was a wife and children that he had dreamed of with Cecily all thoughs decades ago. Decades that turned into a century...and still counting. It had always been so easy to turn off the emotions before Buffy. He wanted things with her that tore at him like he never felt before. He could give her nothing of import and quality.

Till death do us part...he was already dead. He was a corpse that she couldn't marry; couldn't have his children. But she didn't want children. She had openly spoken about it, not wanting to leave a child behind without its' mother. And it would grow up without her sooner rather than later. It still didn't cease the feeling like he wasn't man enough for her.

She told him to leave. He shouldn't be wallowing outside, threatening to die when he should move on and never look back at Sunnydale again.

Spike searched for Drusilla. He looked all through the town and couldn't find her. Maybe because his search had been half assed. As much as he loathed the thought of her being gone, a relief swept into him that was just as strong as the desire to keep her. He was tired. Tired of taking care of her and listening about the endless voices in her head that threatened to drive him insane as well.

But Drusilla was forever. Buffy was simply a fleeting moment in time. He feared walking the earth alone for all eternity. He would never have an eternity with the Slayer. She may be gone in ten years...she may be gone tomorrow. Despite her strength, human's were so fragile it was terrifying.

He wouldn't even be able to keep her until she died of a ripe old age, either. He wasn't going to be given the expected 70 or so years to last him ten...tweny...or more lifetimes he was cursed to live. If he had to fall, why did he have to fall for someone he could have no time with. A regular human girl wouldn't hurt this much.

And that's why he was reluctant to leave her side. Missing one moment was like missing an eternity. He needed every second to build memories that would have to last him forever.

The sun was shining on the tree tops now. He watched as it hit the pavement and slowly inched towards his spot. If he waited any longer, a pile of ash would be all that was left. He couldn't out run it. Spike contemplated staying rooted and letting it put him out of his misery. He had already lived longer than he should have. It was time to go.

But she needed him, even if she claimed that she didn't. And he needed her. Spike was affraid that even a true death wouldn't get her out of his mind.

Spike rose from the bench, his skin beginning to sizzle. He reached out and walked threw the door, hoping that Buffy didn't throw him out. Not because of the sun, but because he couldn't bare the rejection. Everyone was strewn out on the floor, surprisingly sleeping well.

Had Cordelia defeated the beast? It would be a great amazement if she had. A dim glow lit the room from the rising sun as he walked around the bodies and bent down to look at the dark haired girl. She appeared to be asleep, but if that were the case, Xander wouldn't have her wrapped in his arms the way he did now. The girl would have broken his bones if he tried that while she was in a conscious state.

She had lost. There were still 4 more Shadow Dreamers to take down.

Buffy was nowhere in sight as he continued scanning the small living room before taking a look into Giles' bedroom. Still she was missing. She wouldn't just leave her friends when a threat was so strong against them.

The sound of sloshing water reached his ears. The only bathroom in the small condominium was located inside the sleeping area. He went to the door and rested his forehead against it, waiting for any sound he could catch. Reluctantly, he knocked. He had to know where they stood with one another; that she wasn't going to stay mad at him forever.

"Come in!" she chimed quickly, a spark of fear evident in her voice. Spike knew she figured it was one of the Scoobies coming to tell her another demon had taken hold of one of them. He opened the door slowly and kept his gaze rooted to the tiled floor.

"It's just me," he said.

She got silent for a moment and the water once again rippled as she moved. "Hey."

That one small word gave him the hope that he needed. Her 'hey' wasn't holding any anger, it gave away no sense of hopelessness, and it didn't sound heavyhearted. Cautious maybe, but not mad.

Spike entered the bathroom and clicked the door behind him. His gaze still focused on the ground, his peripheral vision noticed that the curtain was pulled back so her naked form was exposed. He sat on the bath rug, his back against the tub.

What was he going to say?

"I'm sorry," he began. "I didn't go about it the way I should have."

"No," she said quickly. "I'm the one who should feel sorry. I know that she means a lot to you and I had no right getting mad because you did something you felt you had to."

He snickered. "She's dangerous, Buffy. She's more weak than she's ever been but she's still a vampire with a strong urge to kill. I know I shouldn't ask this of you, but if you find her before I do, and chances are you might, please..."

He had trailed off, hating to finish the sentence. He was already in hot water with the little Slayer and he wouldn't be surprised if she ripped his head off while his back was turned. "I won't." Buffy answered his unfinished plea.

"Thank you."

They stayed silent for a long while. Buffy had to know.

"I'm not going to look for her again, Buffy. But I need that feeling that she's still alive. I can't bare her not being in the same world as me."

"I understand." Her voice held no emotion. It was odd when he was the one doing all of the talking while she gave curt little responses.

"I'm not leaving you, pet," Spike whispered and then paused for it to sink in what he was saying. "I'm choosing."

"Choosing?"

"Between you and her. It's a choice that Drusilla wanted me to make every time I left her behind to come to you. And now I'm choosing."

For the first time since he entered, her voice stiffened and a defensive attack could be heard. "You're choosing me because I'm not the one that left. I'm just the one you can find."

Spike maneuvered his head quickly to the side and looked at her for the first time since entering. Her hair was wet and water droplets cascaded down her soft bare shoulders. She was ducked low and her hands rested on the side of the tub as she glared at him.

"How can you not know how I feel about you?"

She was the one to lower her gaze this time and he lifted her head by the tip of his finger underneath her chin. "If I didn't care, I would have left long ago. I'll be honest. I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to keep you both, but I know that that's not possible now and I'm sorry it took Drusilla leaving for me to realize that I all needed was right here." Her green eyes stopped wandering around the small room and finally landed on his face. "If I had a stake pointed at my heart, and I had to choose between you and her...it's no contest. You have accomplished something in less than a year that no other person has ever done."

"But you love her."

Spike smiled at her statement. It was obvious she was searching for his true emotion because he just told her that she was the one he wanted above Drusilla. But Buffy wanted more. She needed to hear it. Letting her know he would rather be with her wasn't enough. "I love you, more."

He had never seen her smile so wide. That was what she had been waiting for. Her fists clutched his tshirt and pulled him forward by force, her lips crashing down on his. Her mouth opened slightly, sighing into him as she allowed his tongue to softly enter her mouth in a searing kiss. Spike smiled to himself at her uncertainty. He held the back of her head steady as he continued his ministrations, knowing that this was a new exerience for her.

She stumbled slightly. "S...sorry," she muttered from embarrassment.

Spike smiled, but said nothing as he leaned in for more. She was holding him so tight that it began to hurt. He pulled away.

"You're trying to hard." Her face fell and she leaned away from him but he instantly pulled her back. "Just relax." And then he brought his lips once again upon hers. This time it was easy. Her grip was loose while resting on his shoulders, his arms rubbing her bare back in an affectionate way. A tear escaped her eye, ending up on his own cheek. He pulled back in alarm.

"What's wrong, luv?" He wipped away the wet streak from her face.

"Nothing...I...I've just thought about you saying that to me for awhile. It was better than I imagined. I...I love you,too," She said her declared statement quickly.

"So they're happy tears?"

Buffy nodded her head and then let out a small laugh before leaning in for more of the same.

And despite his soaked attire and the heat that penetrated from the desire, somehow they still managed to keep her unclothed body modestly hidden from his gaze.


	12. Chapter 12

**Willow & the Shadow**

_The heat was scorching. Her body seemed to be on fire as a wave of lava shot into the sky and exploded, descending until it missed blistering her by mere feet. She quickly stood to get away from the offensive burn of the black rock that had seared a whole into her favorite sweater._

_Willow's chest began rising from the panicked breaths she was taking. The Shadow had invaded her without anyone realizing it. Who would be there to watch over her, even it they couldn't help? When Cordelia's body began to panic, they had tried to cheat the system by waking her up but had come up short handed. You can't awake during a battle unless it is on your own accord. _

_She had been in a deep sleep on Giles' floor. The streaming sun had woken her momentarily; making her forget that she needed to stay awake. She had laid her head back down and fell into a slumber once more. The demon snuck in and now she was in a battle that was taking her by suprise. _

_A strong wind blew, giving her momentary relief from the heat that had her sweating. She was on a volcano; that much was obvious. Her opponent had yet to appear. The structure was half a Shield Volcano which gave her a broad slop for walking, and half a Stratovolcanoe that was hovered above her with it's steep slops that would be hard to climb. _

_Moving to the edge of the rock, she leaped over a narrow lava flow. Peeking over the side, it was nothing but a dark abyss. Perhaps this was the exit. Could it be that easy? She reached out and noticed that her hand would not extend into the thin air. A invisible shield kept her locked in. _

_Maybe the Shadow Dreamer had chosen her for this particular task because he knew she had been praticing witch craft. It wasn't something she had learned to master but a floating object wasn't too hard to accomplish. She closed her eyes and thought of a way to open the portal...a spell that may work._

_"Via gue antem alam perio su te duam diam."_

_"Your witch craft serves no purpose here." _

_Willow ceased chanting as the shadow floated across the lava flow and stopped within yards of her. "I...I wasn't doing witchcraft. I was jus...just talking to myself. I do that when I'm nervous. _

_"Do you think I am a fool? I know who you are and I know how powerful you can be."_

_Willow listened to what he was saying but darted her gaze in different directions as he spoke. She only had so long before he charged her. Where was the escape if it wasn't the dark pit below?_

_"I'm not powerful," she answered. "I can barely do a simple tracking spell when Buffy needs me to."_

_"You are young. In time, you will become one of the greatest witches to ever grace the earth. But I am afraid you will no get that far. The earth will be consumed before that is to happen."_

_"You don't know that."_

_"It is apsolute. The Slayer can not succeed in defeating all four of us and their is no one in your organization that can win."_

_"I...if I can't use magic in here, how can Buffy use her strength?"_

_"She is born to annihilate us. We have no say in her ability. If we did, Slayer's would never exist. All we can do is overpower her."_

_"You set this 'game' up to be unfare. That's why we can't win. Xander, Giles, and me are really good at killing things in Sunnydale."_

_"On the contrary, Red One. There is always a way out. To find it will prove difficult, but it is possible. Did your Slayer not tell you this?"_

_"Well...ya. But she said it was near impossible."_

_"Not impossible. Simply challenging. Your friend called Cordelia spotted a way at the last second, though it was too late to execute. I cannot vanish and reappear where you are, but I am too fast and too strong for you."_

_"We'll just see ab...about that."_

_"Yes, we will." It began to chuckle. "Are you ready?"_

_"I guess I have to be." The villian drew back it's fist and Willow dodged the impending blow, taking off at a sprint._

**Giles' Place**

"Buffy!"

Buffy opened her eyes at the cry that awoke her. She was lying in the cold arms of Spike in Giles' bed. His blond head had already risen at the cry as she came fully awake, leaping from beneath the covers.

The only attire she wore was a large white towel wrapped around her body, having failed to done any clothing before falling into her first deep sleep in days.

Xander had abandoned his post beside Cordelia and was now knealing before willow. Her legs were vibrating at a rapid pace, her chest falling and rising in panic. Willow must have awoken and fallen back asleep without anyone knowing.

"She's running," Buffy spoke softly.

"Buffy," tears gleamed within Xander's eyes. "I can't lose them both within hours of eachother."

"You won't lose them. We just have to remember that they arn't dead and I will get them out." She spoke with confidence but she felt less sure of herself when the thought of going in four more times were too much to imagine. She was strong, but how will her strength last so many battles? They would make it more and more difficult for her each time.

Buffy silently walked into the bedroom and to the small luggage she had brought. Putting on a tshirt and sweatpants, she joined the others once more. Luckily, no one seemed to notice her state of undress. Nothing had happened between her and Spike, besides their spoken love for one another, but Xander would still speak his mind where he had no business doing so.

Xander was still sitting beside Willow's shaking form, Giles was in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, and Spike was leaning against the couch with his arms folded. Everyone seemed to be waiting for her body to stop moving, indicating the battle was over and that she was locked away.

**Willow & the Shadow**

_Somehow she had managed to escape the blow. After months of watching Buffy in action, something must have sank in when it came to defense. She still wasn't crazy enough to try and throw a punch. _

_Willow ran the edge of the cliff, her arm stretched out to run a hand against the invisible wall. There had to be an opening. But deep inside, she knew that that would be far too easy. She glanced back and noticed the demon keeping a steady pace behind her. This was not the way out. _

_She changed course and lept over the same lava flow she had previously jumped. She made sure to check every inch of her surroundings. Nothing was catching her eye. The demon was catching up with her, his floating form gaining ground._

_It's pace had excellerated. She continued the race. Suddenly a strong current pulled her mentally. It felt like she was finally on to something. Gazing to the sky, she focused on the volcano's crater. It was the only other opening that she could find._

_But was that correct? As she thought of this, the lava shot out of her pending destination. She had no other option. _

_Willow began to scale the hot rock, grabbing onto any foothold she could. The Demon was so close now. He was following her at a rapid pace but suddenly she found it easier to climb. It was as if the same mental current that had directed her was now helping her physically. She began to float, her hands helping push her faster than the presence that was lifting her body. Lava and ash exploded once again and she instinctively shut her eyes against the offensive liquid._

_And then she reached it._

_Willow balanced on the edge of the volcanol's opening as her opponent did the same. It reached for her and she ducked once again. It was evident that the entity was furious that she had somehow bested it. Leaping down a few feet onto the steep incline, she braced her footing and tried to get behind the demon. It was turning in circles with her. _

_Suddenly his balanced faltered as he went to strike. She took advantage of it and jumped on its back, yanking with all her might to direct it down in the volcano. It was now or never. Another eruption would occur any second. _

_"Fall backwards you peice of doo doo." And with that, they began to free fall. Her legs wrapped tightly around the monster as she prepared herself to get scorched. But soon the heat faded...and so did the light. It was pitch black but the feel of its icy body still clutched within her grasp. The Shadow's arms unwound her fingers easily from around it's neck, but her legs were unmovable. Soon she found her nose beginning to hurt like something was crawling from her brain. The pain was excrusiating, but she continued to grasp it with her thighs. A tugging awareness wracked her brain. The demon was shrinking from her grasp. It no longer had a head and was disappearing at a rapid pace. And soon he was gone. _

_She opened her eyes as a pair of strong arms came around her. _

"You did it, Will!" Xander was kissing her face. Willow immediately smiled because the pain had subsided and her future husband was all over her.

"I...I did it," she breathed with relief.

Buffy was kicking the Shadow's butt. Willow winced at the cursing and destroying blows she delivered. Not only was she using her fist like she normally did, but held a sword in her left hand and continued slicing little slits into it's skin, causing it to bleed black.

She decapitated it. The room got silent. Never had they witnessed her so violent. She usually took her job as a joke, using her strength for the fun of it. But this was nothing like that.

Buffy punctured her sword into its head and steadied it. She spit on the grusum object and then stuck it onto the wall. She turned to them to explain her reasoning.

"As a example of what _can _be done. Great job, Will."

The blond smiled at her friend and then went to the kitchen to grab a beer. She took one swig and wrinkled her face in disgust. "Tastes like shit but getting drunk sounds pretty damn good about now."


	13. Chapter 13

Buffy placed her elbows on her knees and pushed her hair back with her fingers. The Shadow Dreamers had seemed to vanish. The demons were driving them all insane by their disappearance with only two left to defeat. Giles and Xander both had their battles and miraculously Giles came back. Xander had not been so lucky.

Giles said he had been on the side of a mountain which he scaled until the opening of a cave came into view. He had taken a beating but fell into a pit of lightening with the beast clutched in his grasp. Buffy had been right beside him waiting, not expecting him to come back. Everyone was telling her she was being entirely too pessimistic. She was being realistic. Her Watcher had said 'I merely got lucky,' just like Buffy felt had happened to her.

A horrible suspicion continued to creep into her thoughts that Xander's battle had been even less fare than the others. He was invaded and immediately started to choke. It was as if he was drowning, awakening beneath water before he even had a chance to find a way out. Buffy wasn't even sure he had laid eyes on the beast at all. The antihero was getting angry that powerless beings were able to defeat it.

And now it was Spike's turn. And they waited. And waited. It never showed.

It had spoken of a rotation. Buffy, Cordelia, Willow, Giles, Xander, Spike, and then Buffy once again. She had a theory the the Shadow Dreamers were intimidated. Willow and Giles had succeeded while Spike and Buffy would be naturally harder to beat. The shadows were preparing before they moved once more. Buffy had gone out the previous three nights to Slay any demon she could find, trying to kick start the next assault. Her efforts were proving to be futile.

It was kind of funny with how much she was making Spike sleep. He'd complain he wasn't tired but she would throw a blanket over him and stroke his head until he fell under. He seemed to enjoy the attention.

Spike had mentioned by accident that he hadn't been tucked in since his mother had wrapped him up when he had had a cold just a week before he turned. He tried to correct his mistake by saying 'I meant when I was a boy' but Buffy had already started laughing. He just rolled his eyes and said 'well, since the cat is out of the bag, how about some _Early One Morning?'_

Buffy didn't know the song and couldn't sing so he taught it to her. Suprisingly, Spike had a nice singing voice. She learned the song and sang it off key, but he didn't seem to mind. It was funny that her first real boyfriend wanted babied when he had massacred thousands of people in his long undead life. But she was kind of enjoying it. He was just too darn cute.

Since she didn't have to worry about Giles and Willow at the moment, her and Spike were living in his dungeon. It was overly creepy but as a Slayer, she had been in far worse places. Joyce was oblivious to anything Buffy did. She was under the impression that her and Willow were having an extended sleepover. Who would actually believe that?

Buffy laid down and curled up next to Spike with Mr. Gordo, her stuffed pig, wrapped in her arms. He was smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer. It beat blood. She hated the thought of kissing him when he had human blood in his mouth. At the thought, she fake gagged which brought his attention to her and away from the soap opera, _Passions._

That was another thing new and funny Buffy found out about Spike. His favorite T.V. shows were _Passions _and _Dawson's Creek. _

"Got a frog in your throat?"

"Naw," she snuggled closer. "I was just thinking how disgusting you can be."

He barked out a laugh. "Ain't that romantic." He took a deep puff and let it stream out for several seconds. Buffy gagged once again. Spike turned his body half way and raised an eyebrow at her. "Am I really that disgusting?"

She smiled, "Not usually but the beer, blood, and smoke are kinda gross."

"Beer and smokes keep me busy; blood keeps me kicking. Would you like me bored and dead?"

"Mmmmm, I guess not. But I can keep you busy?" she purred.

Quickly sitting up, she straddled his hips and ground her lips against his. Spike kissed her back with the same amount of enthusiasm he always offered. Buffy knew it had only been a week of them being 'officially together' but sometimes she wanted to be grabbed like he wanted her...like a women. And it just wasn't happening. The closer she got physically, the more he pushed her away.

Buffy was hesitant to ask for more. If he didn't find her desirable, then he wouldn't be her boyfriend. Or would he? She knew he cared. He had chosen her over looking for Drusilla. Spike continued to kiss her as she boldly began to unbuckle the belt of his pants. Like she suspected, he immediately stopped her actions and tossed her off his lap.

Buffy landed on her back and sighed audibly. He sunk down into the new comforter and sheets she bought with the credit card her mother gave her for emergencies. There was no way she would ever sleep in the same covers that Spike had sex with Drusilla in. It was bad enough with it being the same bed. He simply shrugged and went along with it as he reluctantly watched her burn the old sheets and then helped to make the bed.

His blond head moved closer to her as he kissed the top her hair. "Night, pet."

"Night? It's two in the afternoon."

"Vampire," he muttered. "It's my bed time. Now how about you take a little afternoon nap with me, huh?" He reached over and snaked a arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

"You know I can't do that. I have to watch you incase the shadow comes." She plucked at Mr. Gordo's nose as she spoke.

"Chances of the sodding bastard coming right now are slim, but if it does, I'm sure you will feel me thrashing about."

They got quiet. Several minutes had past and Buffy knew that Spike had yet to fall asleep. She learned that when he was under, he would suddenly stop breathing. It was eerie. He was already room temperature which was suprisingly cool to the touch and him not breathing made it like sleeping with a corpse. But he was still so beautiful.

"I love you," she whispered.

"Love you too, pet." His words slightly mumbled together as he fully drifted off to sleep.

Buffy burrowed deeper into his side and closed her own eyes, cherishing the greatest feeling in the world.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own any lines taken from Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this chapter or the song.**

**Spike & the Shadow**

_Spike opened his eyes to a familiar environment that was hard to recognize. He had been there before. But where exactly was 'there'? He wasn't sure. A hacking cough caused him to wince. Spike stood up from the Axminister Carpet beneath him and walked through the narrow doorway and down a staircase, following a pair of voices that seemed to pull him forward._

_"__**Should I send the Coach for Dr. Gull?"**_

_**"I'll be alright." Many sighs followed. "Eh, it's passed. Just sit with me awhile, will you?"**_

_**"Of course."**_

_"__**Early one morning  
Just as the sun was shining  
I heard a young maid sing  
In the valley below  
**_

_He entered a parlor area and was taken aback by what he saw. It was him, though a much less attractive and cool version. A version he had long forgotten for a purpose. He had hated being human and the only reason he continued as long as he had was because of the women beside him._

_**Oh, don't deceive me  
Oh, never leave me  
How could you use  
A poor maiden so?"**_

_"What was I thinking?" He grimaced at the hair style he had went with that year._

_He continued forward and leaned over slightly. He was hesitant. ____"Mother?"_

_She didn't respond. He waved a hand infront of her face to try to get a reaction. She continued her needle-point, oblivious to his presence._

_"Has this returned memories you have long forgotten?"_

_Spike didn't bother turning around. He new the Shadow Dreamer was inches behind his back and waiting to be acknowledged. _

_"What are you? The ghost of Christmas' past?"_

_"You know who I am."_

_"I was being facetious," he rolled his eyes._

_"You have forgotten what you are."_

_"What, this?" Spike barked out laughter. "Damn right I have. I was nothing but a loser back then. Why would I want to remember myself that way? Mother on the other hand...well, she was a lovely women. I still think of her often."_

_"You have forgotten what you are in many ways."_

_"And what do you mean by that?"_

_"You are now one of us. A demon. Yet you love which is something I fail to understand."_

_"Buffy? 'Course I do. Always was one to fall for the spunky girls."_

_"Not just the Slayer. The dark haired crazy one, the strong one, this women who brought you into the world. You loved the moment you started a new life without your soul."_

_Spike shrugged. What business did this thing have asking such personal questions? "Just the way I am, suppose. That a problem?" _

_"Indeed. You fight adjacent to us. I am forced to take drastic measures against our own kind."_

_"I am nothing like you," he growled. "I am fighting against you so when are we going to start this? What do I gotta do, run down the street and look for a building to drop you off of?"_

_"No. I have changed the rules for you and the Slayer."_

_"Ha," Spike shook his head with amazement. "That what took you so long to come back? Decided your cheating wasn't working so you had to fix the 'game' even more." _

_"On the contrary. We shall battle, and it shall end inside this universe. I shall no longer dwell in your world. It seems that our strength does not match what we can accomplish in here."_

_"So what you're saying is that I can end you in here without taking you back?" Spike was intrigued. He hadn't been relishing the thought of running from the damn thing until he found an exit to take it back in. _

_"Precisely. We will fight with nothing but our strength."_

_Spike nodded his head in acceptance. "I like the sound of that. Odd place you picked for it though. Want to take it outside?"_

_The demon chuckled. "And miss the performance of your past playing before our eyes. The entire time we have been conversing, you have not looked away from the women whom you call 'mother' once."_

_Spike lifted his gaze for the first time. "Is that what you're doing? Distracting me."_

_Suddenly, the form of his mother and himself were gone and a awful voice filled his sences from behind. _

_**"All you ever wanted was to be back inside. And you finally got your wish, didn't you? Sank your teeth into me, an eternal kiss..."**_

_"Stop," Spike's voice got low and deadly. He was looking forward to going up against the beast. The demon wanted to keep him locked inside a moment in time that was impossible to forget, no matter how hard he tried. It was the most tramatic event that had ever happened to him, and the shadow knew it was one of the few ways to trigger him on the inside._

_He could feel himself losing control as the voice of his mother, a newly changed demon, drifted to his ears. Taunting him, flirting with him, yelling at him, and then finally he dusted her. He had killed his own mother...twice. All he wanted was to keep her for all of eternity and it back fired. _

_Spike sighed in relief as the voices ceased. And then in a loop, it began again. There was only one way to end this. He could feel the ridges of his face changing; his fangs making an appearance. He growled low and then ran to attack his target._

**Buffy**

Buffy jolted awake as Spike gasped. She was still curled up in his arms, the bright glow of the T.V. her only source of light. Reaching over, she clicked on the lamp and watched him with intensity. It had happened. He was finally in a battle, something they had began to take too lightly since the shadow's disappearance over the last several days.

His brow was furrowed in confusion, but the rest of his body was just as motionless as it had been except for the steady breathing.

Minutes past and he failed to stir, except for the small facial changes every so often. She reached out and touched his face, running a thumb over his troubled forhead. He relaxed for a moment before lifting the corner of his mouth in a grin.

It was strange how they all seemed to smile in their state of distress. All except for Xander who had not even been attacked but disposed of immediately.

Buffy continued her steady gaze upon the man that she loved. If she lost him... It was too much to think about. But she would go back in. And if she lost, it didn't matter if she ever got him back...or Cordelia...or Xander. They would all be dead due to the end of the world. Losing wasn't an option.

Spike moved for the first time since he had awoken her with his breathing. He moved onto his back and looked angry yet saddened. It tore at her heart that he was in such a miserable state. She couldn't awaken him like a normal nightmare. This one would have to run its course.

And then his face changed. It began to contort into the monster that she tried to forget he was every day. His body jerked. Buffy hoped that he could bag another miracle and come back to her.

**Spike & the Shadow**

_The demon struck with a force that he hadn't experience in so long. It knocked the wind out of him but he came back up growling. _

_"This is the person you are, William. Why you fight me, I do not know."_

_Spike tried to drowned out the sounds of his demonic mother and the villian in front of him. It was beating him from the inside; so hard to concentrate._

_He rose to his feet and began stalking the shadow as if it were prey. It was the only way he would win. Despite Buffy being his new found love, they still fought often. If he can knock that girl on her ass, surley he could do the same to this thing. _

_Without warning, it struck its fist out like lightening but Spike ducked just in time and came back up swinging. It flew against the far wall but landed on its feet. _

_It merely laughed. Spike was getting more and more angry. The anger was probably a good thing. He needed a fight within him that he hadn't felt in so long._

_"We need to end this, William? You will take part in a unnatural event that we, as leaders' of the Hellmouth, can not let take place."_

_"And what will that be?" Spike spoke through his fangs._

_"That I can not explain. You will never be allowed to know that such things can exist. There was no threat of it existing until now."_

_"Well, it you ain't gonna fill me in, looks like I just got kick your ass." And with that they fought. It was one blow after the other. A even match._

_The demon continued it's assult but it was not obtaining the upper hand. It landed against a wall, on the floor, and bled just as much as Spike did. Spike found that he could jump higher than he ever could back in 'the real world.' Yet the demon kept them caged within the small parlor. There was so little room to fight. The demon had even knocked him into his 'mother' which he passed though like one of them were a ghost. _

_The sounds were getting worse instead of better. It would forever be ingrained in his thoughts. One occurance had been bad, living it over fifteen times was more than he could bare. Spike continued to sit on the floor, the demon laughing as it made its way closer to his hunched form. It knew it had won. That it was able to penetrate his brain in a way to defeat him mentally. The shadow bent down and grabbed the side of Spike's head, squeezing it in preparation of the coming decapitation._

_"I am not one to capture a creature such as myself, but it needs to be done."_

_"Too bad it's not going to happen."_

_"I do not believe you have any say in su..." Black blood poured from its undestinguishable mouth as Spike rammed his fist into the throat of the villian. It was momentarily stunned. The demon had gotten too confident and wanted the last say instead of finishing him off when it had the chance. _

_Spike twisted until it's see thru heading fell from its shoulders and rolled across the rug. The voices stopped. He had somehow done it. Gotten through the invasion and fought against a replay of the awful conversation that would forever haunt him. Leaning his head against the wall paper, he closed his eyes and took a minute to collect himself. _

"Spike! Spike, wake up!" Buffy? She was screaming. Her tone was panicked and he could hear sobbing in her voice. A blinding pain struck his jaw as she hit him.

"Bloody hell, women! Give a bloke a chance to grab his bearings before you beat up on him."

Buffy looked shocked for several seconds before she wrapped him one of her infamous bear hugs that made him tense up to keep his head from popping off.

"But how...what happened...are you okay?"

"Shhhhh," he hushed her. "The damn thing changed the battle. Tried to give itself an upper hand by having to physically fight and kill it inside instead of bringing it out."

"What happened?"

Spike hesitated. He looked into her green eyes that were full of question and worry. Reluctantly, he told her everything. Things that he had never intended to let her know. He even mentioned the 'unnatural event' that the demon had spoken of and that was why this was happening. What would Spike do that would be so horrible, the end of the world was necessary? She hugged him in pity; the one thing he wanted to avoid.

They continued to hold eachother like that for the rest of the night, neither one making a move to let go of the other.


	15. Chapter 15

_The screams were never ceasing. They were locked in a cage dangling above the pits of hell. Xander and Cordelia had seemed to lose track of time as it ticked endlessly by. Where was Buffy? Surely they would have found out if she lost the final battle. They would not be caged above the fire. They would be in the fire. _

_"Wh...where is she?" Cordelia muttered. Her wailing had finally stopped after days of yelling for help; help that never came. _

_"I'm sure Buff's just mentally planning. She'll be along in no time." Xander was trying to be the strong one. He was so use to Buffy saving him; telling him what to do. Being in charge was not something he excelled at. But Cordelia was on the verge of breaking. When she wasn't being a bitch, her helpless state was hard to watch._

_"She's dead. She has to be. There is no way it would take this long. You said that Willow, Giles, and you were so close together. Surley Spike and Buffy have already gone."_

_"If they had, wouldn't they be in here with us? Or atleast have gotten us out by now? Maybe it was tired of losing that it took a little break from all the fun." Xander chuckled but Cordelia didn't seem to be in the mood to laugh._

_Her fingers clutched around the bars as she gazed out at the blazing inferno. It had taken her days to open her eyes to what was around them. And now that she had, she rarely looked away._

_"Cordy..." he began. "I know that this sucks but we just have to believe that Buffy is going to come for us."_

_She nodded her head slightly before turning a tear streaked face in his direction._

_"Xander?" He looked at her. This was the first time that she seemed to be looking at him directly. She continuously panicked and sought out reassurance that he was unable to give._

_"Yeah?"_

_She moved closer to him on the metal base that they rested on. _

_"Hold me," she whispered as another scream echoed throughout the evil abyss._

_Xander had imagined Cordelia in his arms many times, but as they held eachother in fear, comfort was all that was on their minds._


	16. Chapter 16

**The Final Battle**

_She was falling once again. The sensation was similar except this time her eyes were now wide open. Flashes of light illuminated the walls of her surroundings letting her know that she was in some sort of cave. She didn't scream like she had before. The fall seemed to be in her control. _

_Buffy knew that her landing would be that of strength and not weakness. The plunge continued, her patience beginning to thin. Where was she going? Looking beneath her, a bright light came into focus. It would put a end to her endless __Alice in Wonderland __act. _

_Despite the exit in sight, the hole was not getting substantial like it should. The wind indicated she was still moving. _

_The endless drop was becoming tedious. What could be so deep that minutes passed by and still she felt no closer to the end? _

_Finally, she was making progress. The beaming orange glow was so close to her now; Buffy could feel the heat rising as she descended upon it. She braced herself for impact. One foot landed perfectly on the red rock while her left knee came down just as hard. The collision ached but it was tolerable. She landed with flair and a smile reached her lips. She hoped that her opponent noticed how in control her body was. She was itching for a fight, more now than ever. It was time to end this._

_Buffy raised her eyes to the surrounding light that seemed to be just as dark at the same time. She slowly began to walk forward and into the gruesome scene before her. Body's were being thrown into the many pits of fire around her, only to swim out of it and once again dive in. Not bodies...souls._

_It was a hell dimension. Buffy didn't have to wonder for long on where she was. The screams and fire were enough to enlighten her. _

_She trudged deeper into the place of torment, seeking out the shadow. _

_"Buffy! Buffy!" She knew the panicked voices that called out to her._

_"Xander? Cordy?" She barely whispered their names as she gazed around her. Where were they? The voices were so loud and terror-stricken that imagining it would prove impossible._

_"Buffy! Up here!"_

_Buffy looked up. Dangling in a cage fifty feet off the ground was one of her best friends and a girl who had her moments. She waved to them. Yes, waved. What else could she do in that instant? It was a relief to see them unharmed. _

_"Are you alright?" She yelled but not quiet as boisterous as Xander and Cordelia had used. _

_"Were fine!" Xander replyed. "Be careful." Without another word, Buffy moved deeper into the abyss and continued her search. The deeper she went, the louder the screams became. To her right was an opening. She stopped in her tracks and leaned forward to look inside. It was so pitch black that if it hadn't been contrasted against the burnt rock, she would have missed it. _

_Buffy headed forward and continued her expedition, feeling her way to a destination she was uncertain even existed. The sound of dripping water reached her ears. A blue glow suddenly burst out of nowhere, making her fall back several steps. It was a bright blue pool of water that was centered in the middle, similar to the opening of a underwater cave. _

_She looked over the edge and found her reflection. She looked like herself. Atleast one thing was going right so far. _

_"Welcome, child!" Whipping her head around to the upbeat voice, she found that no one stood waiting before her. _

_"Hello?" she questioned. _

_"I wasn't sure if you would find me, but alas you succeed with flying colors."_

_"I succeed? So is that it? I don't even get to kick your ass? How depressing," she pouted out her bottom lip like she did so often. _

_The demon chuckled. He had yet to make an appearance but this shadow was far different than the others. He had a happy tone to him. It was like they were old friends sharing a joke. _

_But this was no farce._

_"I'm not the type to physically partake in a brawl, young one. My previous predecessors are the ones that 'go out into the field' so to speak. You see..." he began in a explanatory voice. "We are five. But the four come from me. I am not a customary shadow. I am thee shadow."_

_"Thee shadow? So you're the big guy," Buffy folded her arms and nodded her head before pacing back and forth. _

_"I guess you can say that. Your friends...you found them."_

_"Yeah, their caged like animals. And why won't you show yourself?"_

_"You are looking at me."_

_"I am? Gotta tell you, I can't seem to find you. Is this another fight where you're going to play completely fair?" She said with sarcasm._

_"Look harder, Slayer. I am here...on the wall." Buffy followed the direction of its vocalization. A bright light momentarily blinded her. She squinted her eyes shut against the harsh fluorescent. "Now you can see me."_

_Buffy slowly opened her eyes, the light becoming more tolerable. Before her was a massive thing, one-hundred times larger than what they had previously faced. To defeat this would be impossible. It had been a struggle to annihilate something much smaller. This would be a suicide mission._

_"You and me?" She tried to keep her voice steady. _

_It laughed once more. "We may not play entirely fair but I am not that vulgar to give you such a task."_

_"No?" _

_"Nay. Your mission will be simple. As simple as I can make it for you and still be sure of your destruction. I have minions that you will face. Annihilate them as you scale the structure of hell and reach your friends. Free them and then fall into the fire. That will be your way out. That will be your victory."_

_"Kill them all? How many are we talking?"_

_"You do not have to battle every single one. Simply...get around them. I am confident in my army that they will let you no where near the simpletons."_

_Buffy held her tongue. She was debating her best way of reaching Xander and Cordelia without getting herself killed in the process. She was their last hope. She was the world's last hope._

_"Why are you doing this?" she asked in a whisper. "So many of you have given us different answers. Which is it?"_

_The shadow failed to answer. _

_"Tell me," she seethed. "The least you can do is offer me an explanation...a real explination with the truth."_

_"It is a mixture of all that we have spoken of. We can no longer allow Slayers to be born and cause our race to diminish at the hands of...little girls."_

_"Little girls?" Buffy scoffed. "I may be small but I pack a pretty good punch."_

_"I am aware."_

_"And what about Spike? What's he going to do that is so terrible that you have to put a stop to it before it even begins?"_

_"A deadly creature will rise. A creature stronger and more powerful than any creation that has ever existed."_

_Buffy put her hands on her hips and walked closer to the entity. "Spike? Bleached blond hair, thinks he's a bad ass...He's going to be the one to awake some beast that can't thrive on earth? I doubt that."_

_"He will not be alone in this creation."_

_"And who exactly is going to help him rise a demon?"_

_"It is not a demon. It is a creation made of good. It will be a threat to demons...much greater threat than you could ever hope to be."_

_"I don't under..."_

_"SILENCE! There is no more room for talk. Your battle is about to begin."_

_The floor beneath her began to shake in a much more fierce earth quake than she ever experienced in California. Buffy backed up several feet and began to run. She ran through the dark opening and out into the fire once again. _

_She was attacked the moment she entered the blazing inferno. The demon was not a shadow. It was red and colossal like so many she fought before. Buffy blocked the blow with ease. She shot her leg up at a 90 degree angle and knocked it to the ground. With it out of her way, she jumped over the first obstical and turned to her left. _

_Another demon seemed to appear out of thin air. She bent backwards and out of the course of the sword. She kicked the sword out of it's hand. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. Buffy could feel the cold steel land in her palm before she rose and sliced it in half. _

_Buffy relished in the thought of savering her kills but there was no time to bask in the glory. She sprinted onto the small walk way that ascended the pits of hell. Another demon appeared to stop her course of action but she jumped over it. She leapt nearly ten feet in the air and came down onto the narrow path. She landed; she nearly lost her footing. Grasping for balance, her heart rate excellerated at the thought that she came so close to frying. Two more villians approached her from both sides. Gripping onto a crevis in the rock she did the splits in the air and knocked them backwards, their cries of pain echoing throughout. The sword was gone. She was unable to grasp the weapon while needed both hands. Her life, and the life of civilization, depended on it. _

_She continued upwards, Xander and Cordelia were getting closer by the second. A demon, nearly twelve feet tall grabbed her from behind. She was taken off guard. It was trying to strangle her. Buffy wrapped her small hands around its massive forearm, gasping for air. It wasn't her style to fight with anything but her fists and kicks but she had no choice. Grimacing at the thought, she opened her mouth and hesitantly bit down on the red skin. The taste of blood filled her mouth and she desperately tried to spit it out. The creature released her just enough for her push it off the side. It was too large for her even try to fight fairly. _

_She took a moment to collect her breath, but instantly an even bigger fiend lunged for her. Without any other option, she leapt off the path and over the burning flames. She was running in mid air, willing herself to go further. _

_"Hmpf," she grunted as she landed on her stomach. A red rock floating with no base to hold it up, caught her fall. She was getting wore out. Her brow was caked in sweat. _

_"Buffy," a hissing whisper reached her. It was so close. Buffy rolled over onto her back and gazed at the cage above her. Four hands reached out to her, begging to be touched; begging to get rescued. She sat up and stretched her body, needing to feel a familiar touch. Motivation. Her motivation was hovering about her. _

_"Her hand touched Xander's and then a violent shuddering shook the entire underworld. It was shaking her loose from his grasp. The base beneath her gave way, leaving her to dangle above the firely pit of hell. It was hungry to devour her. It growled in want as the quakeing continued. _

_Buffy grasped tighter despite her sweating palms...or was that Xander's. They both were perspiring from the heat...from the fear. She swung from side to side until her leg got high enough to hook into the bars of the cage. "Pull!" she commanded. Xander continued to lift her quickly tiring form until she placed her knee through another bar. She rested her head against the metal which was suprisingly cool. _

_"Please, Buffy," Cordelia cried. She was sobbing. Buffy had yet to open her eyes. Her breathing was labored which was a feeling she didn't experience often. _

_Without a word, she grunted and gritted her teeth as she opened the bars with nothing but her strength. They began to slowly bend. The quaking progressed even further. It was as if hell itself was beginning to fall. _

_"What's happening!?" Cordelia was in a full on panic. _

_"We're winn...ing," Buffy answered grunting as she bent the bars as far as they would go. _

_"Hold onto eachother!" she screamed over the noise. "Do you trust me?"_

_"Of course," Xander replied. _

_"Follow me and don't ask questions."_

_"Ahhhhhh! Buffy!"_

_Buffy turned around and noticed the immense shadow descending upon them. He looked no different than the other opponents they all had gone up against except this one was immeasurable. It was fast approaching with a look of pure murder on its face. The first shadow to have features that were destinguishable. _

_"Jump!"_

_"Say what?" Xander questioned. "You want us to jump...down there?"_

_"We don't have time for you to question me. Jump."_

_And with that, Buffy leapt backwards and dangled in mid air. Xander still held onto her but continued to reside inside the cage. "Jump!" Buffy commanded once more._

_Xander looked between her, the fire, and the quickly approaching shadow. His mind was made up within moments. Buffy saw him reach from behind and then he jumped. Cordelia's screams were ear peircing as they descended together. Buffy prayed that the shadow had been fair enough to tell her the truth. Why was it getting hotter as they descended. It was right below them. So close to turning them all into a pile of ash. _

_Buffy closed her eyes, expecting for the worse. And then it happened. The heat turned into a cool mist upon her body. She wasn't falling as much as she was floating. Within the dark, Xander's hand still rested within her own. They continued to drop, but no more than a few feet at a time. _

_A tunnel of light ripped Cordelia from their grasp, but the light was full of peace. She disappeared through the tunnel, it closing quickly behind her. _

_They free fell once again._

_Another tunnel of light, identical to the last one softly stole Xander from her and he went into the light, just as peacefully as Cordelia had gone._

_Buffy once again free fell until her own tunnel of light came into focus. She didn't have to will herself twords it. It grasped her gently and pulled her forward into a brilliant light that was more bright that anything she had ever experienced, yet it didn't hurt. _

She fluttered her eyes opened and noticed five pairs of watchful gazes just inches from her face. They all were looking at her with shock, suprise, awe, appreciation, and love.

"How does it feel?" Giles spoke.

"Ho...how does what feel?" Buffy found her voice.

"Saving the world, pet?" Buffy looked up at the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on and smiled.

"Pretty damn...exhausting."


	17. Chapter 17

Spike lifted his head as the heavy door to his dank residence burst open and a stream of descending day filtered in. He didn't even bother looking to see who it was. He could already feel and smell her. Keeping his eyes shut, he laid his head back down upon the purple pillow that Buffy had bought. Her steps were coming closer and he suspected she would jump on the bed like she always did and annoy him awake.

Minutes seemed to tick by and still she didn't come.

He was getting suspicious on what she was doing, but he left her alone. She was probably nosing around the place like she did so often and would come to him shortly.

A knee delve into the mattress, dipping him slightly. She straddled his thighs, immediately followed by feather light kisses upon his bare back. He smiled. How could he not? It was hilarious how much Buffy wanted him. They had only been together less than two weeks and she made it seem like he was a prudish girlfriend who hadn't put out in two years.

He may be dead but he wasn't _dead. _He couldn't hold out for much longer.

Spike twisted his body and flipped over. His eyes bulged from his head at the sight of a very naked Buffy staring down at him. He was dumbfounded and speechless. She really was pulling out all the stops and he could feel his reserve slipping by the second. She was hard enough to say no to fully clothed. How in the hell could he turn her down now?

"Hey, pet. Lose something?"

Her face went from provocative innocence, to confusion, to anger, to hurt in the span of a second. Her slim arms crossed over her chest. "You know what, vampire?"

Spike raised a eyebrow at her.

"I'm breaking up with you." She turned to skirt off his lap but he shot into a sitting position and held her tight around the waist. Spike knew that she could easily get away from him but she chose to stay.

"I don't think so," he said before kissing her bare shoulder. His hands snaked down her smooth back and went to cup her backside with his palms. He smirked at how much she quivered in his arms.

"Stop that," she breathed out. "I dumped your ass. Remember?"

He chuckled against her skin. "No you didn't."

"Um, pretty sure I did. You're not only an ass, you're kind of an idiot, too."

Spike grabbed her more rough than he had any women in decades and pinned her beneath him. A bruise formed on her upper arm and she winced but a heated look of passion shown in her green eyes. He crushed his lips against hers and held her fast as she parted her bare thighs for him. She lifted her knee so it rested on his side. He still had his pants on and she was desperate to feel skin against skin. Her need for him was exploding from her body. Any man, vampire or not, could sense that.

"Make love to me," she whispered against his smooth cool lips. "I want you so much." Buffy kissed him more fervently than he had her. It was a desperate caress. Spike lowered his body to hers after having held himself away from her naked form for as long as he could. It felt amazing being nestled ontop of her perfect shape that fit flawlessly beneath him.

"I...thought...you...broke...up...with...me," he some how managed to get out while their lips were still pressed together.

She punched him on the back which hurt like hell but he just laughed. He loved getting a rise out of her.

He broke their lips apart and kissed along her jaw until he reached her ear. "I love you more than I've loved anyone, Buffy. I'd give anything to be inside you right now." Her nails dug into his back and she ground her hips against his still clad lower half.

"I feel a but coming one."

Spike lifted his head from her neck and kissed the tip of her nose. He sighed while thinking about what he was going to say. He had the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his arms. He should have already fucked her brains out, but then what kind of 'man' was he trying to be for her?

"You have been through so much in the past year that no person should ever have to experience in a lifetime or even two."

"So? What does that have to do with this? With me wanting you?" Buffy looked up at him with a puzzled gaze. She wasn't sure where he was going with this. He wasn't sure where he intended to go with it either.

"It's the only bit of innocence you have left, luv. I don't want to take that away from you." He said to her softly while stroking her hair with the tips of his fingers. Spike dipped his head low once against and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. He noticed that she was slightly detached but she didn't sever the contact. It was a good sign that she wasn't blowing up at him like she did so often when he avoided this kind of contact with her.

"That's why you keep telling me no?"

His expression of tenderness held a grin to it. "Of course it is. If you were older, more experienced in certain areas, I would have already sat you on a gravestone and pounded you until you begged me to stop. Why else would I not take advantage of you literally throwing yourself at me?"

"I thought you didn't want me. I thought..." She trailed off and looked away. Spike tilted his head so she was forced to look at him. He still had her unclothed body pressed securely under him.

"You thought what, sweetheart?"

"I thought you changed your mind about me. I thought that maybe you changed your mind and...missed her."

"Missed who? Drusilla?" At the mention of his ex lovers name, her features soured. She began to reminisce about a time he would rather forget.

"I still remember that time I walked in on you with her. I was still only fifteen and didn't trust you like I do now, but it was the first ounce of jealousy I ever felt. And in the past two weeks that you pushed me off of you...I just thought you didn't want me like you did her."

"Oh, Buffy," Spike kissed her forhead and gave her that look that he knew she loved so much. "Dru's not worthy enough to even die at your hands let alone me want to have sex with her more than you. I've always wanted you more. Even before I knew you."

She laughed. "Before you knew me? How is that possible?"

"I'm being facetious but it has always felt like something was missing...until now. I finally feel complete."

"I still want you." Her hands snaked down his body and moved her hips downward so she could access his belt. He didn't halt her actions this time. Instead, Spike rose from her body and got on his knees. He undid his own belt and the uncertain passion in her gaze about undid him. "Does this mean you're going to give me what I want?" she asked with a sly smile.

"It means I'm going to give us what we both want, luv." Spike slid out of his black jeans and lowered himself to her once more. "Are you sure about this?"

She shook her head vigorously and reached her hands up to grasp the pillow beneath her head. "I need it more than I want it. I need you inside me, Spike."

At her heated words, he pressed into her warm tight embrace. She stiffened at his harsh yet controlled enterance. He paused and marveled at how she could take a physical beating every night, but something so perfect caused her discomfort. He began to move inside her and her pretty green closed as her mouth opened in a sigh. Spike couldn't look away if he wanted to...which he didn't.

Their need for one another had grown so much over the course of eleven short months that they stayed locked together as long as they could. She shuddered in his arms and he quickly followed. Their breathing was labored as he held her warm skin in a tight hold.

Spike gathered Buffy in his arms and watched her drift off to sleep. He felt more like a man, more human, than he had felt even when he was alive. She was bringing something out in him that he welcomed. It was the first time that he fit in somewhere. And it was all because of his little super hero.


	18. Chapter 18

Spike placed a soft kiss on the shoulder of the women he loved; the women he wanted to spend eternity with. Her slender neck was pumping a delectable amount of blood that would taste sweeter than he had ever been given the luxury of drinking. He wondered often if he bit her...would she be like him? She was a Slayer. No Slayer had ever been turned into a vampire. Spike wasn't even sure if something like that could even be done. Was that why it hadn't happened yet? Or was it as simple as Slayer vs. Demon to the death. They were instantly killed and not given a chance to be reborn.

He should be happy with the time he was allowed with her, but it would never be enough. He craved her more than he had ever thirsted after blood. She was an addiction that he would never quit. It scared him how much she meant to his soulless self. Why was he the only vampire who could love so deeply? It felt like this was the last decade of his undead life. How could he go on without her when she finally had a bad day and some Big Bad snapped her neck or took a bite out of her flawless skin. He couldn't. Spike knew that he would have to put himself out of the misery that would undeniably last indefinitely.

He looked at her as she slept. Her features were so peaceful...so perfect. He had never seen Buffy more content than she was in that moment, wrapped in his arms. Why it took him so long to make love to her, he didn't know.

Suddenly her features began to fade. Spike shut his eyes harshly and reopened them to find her gone. "What the hell," he muttered. He shot up quickly and looked around in a panic. She was gone. Something had taken her from him right before his eyes.

The bed began to shake. An earth quake in California. It happened all the time but this one was different.

A blinding light illuminated the dark room. His skin smoked but it didn't hurt like it normally did. This wasn't the sun. It was just a bright glow that was bringing forth a dark figure. This figure was not like the previous shadows. It had features. It was solid in form. What did it want with him? Why was it ruining the most perfect moment he had ever experience in his entire existence?

Why did it take Buffy away from him?

"This!" It's voice was booming...angry. "This is unnatural. How dare you do such a thing with a human...with a Slayer. You are a traitor against the forces of darkness. You have been a nobel warrior, causing suffering and torment to thoughs around you for over a century. How can one girl change you so much in such a short amount of time?"

"Because I love her," he growled out the words.

"Love! This love that you speak of does not exist. It is nothing but a twisted obsession that will only end badly. You have no soul. You are incapable of love."

Spike shot from the bed in all his naked glory and glared at the hovering presence above him. "I have always been a vampire who loved. My mother...Drusilla; it is who I am. I am tired of everyone or thing telling what I have to be. Who I have to be. Who I can love and where I can go. This is who I am and I'm not leaving her!"

The entity grew quite after its sudden assault upon him.

"You can not be with a Slayer," it lost the anger but retained reasoning. "It will only bring about horrible things. No Slayer and vampire have ever mated and that is the way it should be...it _will _be."

Spike was beginning to get irritated. "What horrible things! Demon's love chaos and horror. If her and I being together is so bad...then why try to pull us apart?"

The demon didn't speak. It simply stared at him, stumped by the question. It was hiding something from him. Something of importance. It hated that he and Buffy had had sex. Spike looked twards the bed and noticed that she was still missing. Why had she faded?

"Go back to your black goddess. She is the one that brings the best out in you. Standing before me is nothing but a neutered vampire who has no reason to continue walking on the earth."

"You're avoiding the question. That is all any of you have done. And I no longer want Drusilla. She is crazy and is making me a sodding lunatic with her. I can't be around that anymore."

"Get far away from the Slayer."

"And if I don't?" he asked with his chin held high.

"I already told you. A Slayer and a vampire can not mate. In the history of Slayers, it has not happened for a reason. You are disrupting the order of things. Leave..."

"I'm not leaving Buffy. And we already fucked. I don't see some apocalypse brewing."

"You have not!" It snapped fiercely.

"I think I would know, mate. I was there."

"It was a figment of your imagination. Nothing more than a dream that you desperately want as a reality. But do not make it a reality. Walls will crumble and the earth will bleed."

Spike crossed his arms. "Sounds like a good tumble in the sheets to me."

Without another word, it disappeared and the light went out. He was once again left in darkness.

Spike bolted up in bed and tried to catch the breath that he already didn't have. He quickly looked to his left and noticed that Buffy wasn't with him. The sheets smelled nothing of her. How had something so real been a figment of his imagination?

Why was he and Buffy so wrong for one another? Why was the underworld intent on tearing them apart when they had only just begun? He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone...ever. He would die for her. Why would he turn his back on a feeling that strong?

"I can't," he half cried, half sighed. She was the one he had been waiting for since the beginning of time and if the walls were going to crumble and the earth was going to bleed, he would be right there with her, watching it all go down and help to stop it.

**Author's Note: Gotcha! Don't be mad at me. One of my reviews thought I jumped the gun. Naw, lol. It was just a dream but I did make it out to be real on purpose. Hope I woke everyone up! The shadows may be gone and defeated but the hellmouth is still trying to control fate since they were unable to cause the world to end. This is the start of the second half of the story that I wanted to write. It is going to be mostly Spuffy from here on out. **


	19. Chapter 19

"I don't want to do this anymore, Giles." Buffy placed an ice pack on her back. She sat down on her Watcher's couch with a painful wince.

As always, he removed his glasses and began to clean them. "We've been over this, Buffy. It is your birthright; not some job that you can quit at any moment."

She sighed heavy and tried to keep her tears at bay.

"You are the only Slayer in existence. Without you, demons will run free and take over the earth. It is because of the Slayer's legacy that they stay hidden. Because you are what they fear."

"They didn't fear me tonight when that Corpson Demon picked me up and tried to break my back over its knee. I know I heal fast, but damn Giles. A girl can only do so much with a fresh handicap and a 2000 pound giant. Not to mention the three vampires that showed up on my way over here."

"Buffy..."

"I know, I know. I have to keep Slaying until one of them gets me. I get it; doesn't mean I have to like it."

Giles sat down on the coffee table across from her. "I don't like this part of the job. I hate watching you risk your life every night while I do nothing but keep my nose buried in books. But you are the Slayer and I am a Watcher. It is who we are and..."

"I've been seeing Spike," she blurted out. It was something that was bottled up inside of her so tight that she was on the verge of bursting. Not to mention, Buffy was tired of hearing Giles lecture her on why she must continue fighting evil. He blinked several times and devoured what she said.

"Excuse me?" He leaned a ear in her direction, hoping she hadn't said what she just confessed.

"Spike and I are seeing eachother. As in...Spike's my boo." Buffy put a smile on and tried to lighten the mood despite the bewildered look on Giles' face and Buffy's agonizing injury.

"Hmmm," he gave a heavy sigh. "You know that I have come to tolerate Spike very well and I do feel that he is commendable in what he does for all of us but...he's not...isn't he a little old for you?"

"Well, yeah if you count his vampire life but really, it's not more than ten years. Once I turn eighteen, you won't even see the difference."

"And when you start to look older than him because he doesn't age, Buffy? Do you know why he doesn't age? Have you forgotten what he is?"

"I won't have to worry about that," she responded weakly.

"Yes you will. You arn't thinking long term."

"Because I don't have long term! Have you forgotten what _I am_? I don't have forever, Giles. I don't even have a little while. Getting older isn't in the cards for Spike or myself."

"Buffy..."

"Just stop." She got up slowly and started to march twards the front door.

"What kind of reaction did you expect me to have?"

Buffy stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. He looked genuinely upset that he had unsettled her when she was already feeling depressed. Buffy lost some anger in her expression.

"He's the only thing I have that makes me feel truly happy. Spike's been there for me since this whole nightmare began." Her voice quivered. "Just be happy for me Giles."

It was apparent that he wasn't going to cooperate. He adverted his gaze and refused to see things her way. Buffy left with a heavy heart and pure frustration. After everything that Spike had done for the Soobies, he still wasn't good enough. These were her friends? If Giles would react this way, how would Xander? Willow would take it the best...on the outside. But atleast she would try.

Buffy managed to make it home without some demon wanting a peice of the Slayer. It was a miracle but intensely welcomed. Her body ached all over. The whole fast healing thing could start kicking in at any moment. She went through the front door since it was just a tad past ten. Her curfew wasn't until eleven.

She turned to go upstairs and made it to the third step before laughing drifted to her ears. It puzzled her. The voices were her mother...and a man. Her mom went on a date almost a month ago but that date hadn't lasted more than one night. She hadn't been aware that Joyce had met another hopeful husband. She made her way into the kitchen. Buffy then stopped dead in her tracks. Her mother was totally doing some heavy petting with her Algebra teacher, Mr. Douglas, or what everyone liked to call him, Mr. Douchebag. He was a complete dick.

She cleared her throat loudly and folded her arms in a disapproving way. "Oh, Buffy!" Her mother pushed her new make out buddy away. "Um, you know David...I mean Mr. Douglas."

"Buffy," he said her name in acknowledgment but Buffy could tell it was a struggle to be pleasant to her.

"Yeah. What's going on, Mom?"

"We ran into eachotehr at the Art Gallery for the opening of my new exhibit."

"So you decided to bring him home and stick your tongue down his throat?"

"Buffy! I'm sorry, David." Joyce walked around the island and snapped her fingers at Buffy in a order for her to follow her into the foyer. "Would you care to tell me what that was all about?"

"Yeah. You brought my teacher home and started making out with him. That's what it was about."

"I can see whom ever I choose."

"Your right, Mother. But has it seemed to slip your mind that I told you the only teacher I couldn't stand was, oh what's his name," she tapped a finger to her chin in mock concentration. "Mr. Douglas!"

Joyce rolled her eyes. "He is not that bad."

"I'm sure he is a complete gem...when you're putting out." Joyce's hand snapped out and slapped Buffy across the face. It stung slightly but didn't hurt. Buffy had thick skin that was meant to take a real beating. But this was more than she could take. The tears that had been threatening all night slid down her cheeks.

"Buffy," her mother began. She was on the verge of apologizing but Buffy didn't want to hear it. She marched to the door and left. She could hear her mother yelling for her. Joyce called out to her over and over again but Buffy didn't look back.

She was done. She was done being something that she wasn't and something that she didn't ask to be.

She was done with Sunnydale.

Buffy began to run despite the agonizing pain that continued to burden her body. She had to go to the only person who ever understood her. The weight of the world was on her small embodiment. She's killed, she's saved the world, and she was only a sophomore in highschool. Why can't she just be a cheerleader once again and maybe get a job at the mall? Why does she have to be the world's secret superhero. It was just too much.

Rain began to pour, but she continued running. Her feet went from pavement to grass as she entered the graveyard. A vampire stood before her. The tears came harder but were quickly washed away by the torrent. Buffy halted. The ridged face opponent came closer. His lip curled back to show his fangs; fangs that were hungry for her special blood.

He took a fighting stance but quickly realized she wasn't intent on battling. He looked puzzled for a moment before taking advantage of the situation.

He was moments away from her and still she didn't reach for the stake that rested inside her leather jacket. Buffy was burnt out and her journey had only just begun. How could she be expected to live each day not knowing if it were to be her last? Why prolong a life that would end before she had a chance to experience anything real?

Buffy realized she was feeling suicidal. She longed for it to be over. He grabbed her hair harshly, baring her pulsating neck to his hungry thirst. The vamp growled as his fangs bit into her skin. She flinched but the pain wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. It felt no worse than a shot. The teeth were razer sharp and sliced threw with ease. Buffy could hear him gulping down her liquid.

She was becoming weak and it felt amazing to not possess a surge of strength radiating inside her body. All she ever felt was the unwanted power she never asked for. Buffy almost felt human.

And then he was gone. A cloud of dust burst in her face but was quickly washed away by the rain.

"What the hell is wrong with you!"

Buffy didn't answer. She was in shock that her life had been so close to ending. It felt amazing being that close to death. Spike glared at her enraged for what she had allowed to happen.

His fuming expression killed her more than the near expiration of her life did. Buffy fell to the ground. She rested her face against the grass and closed her eyes. Red drops of blood coated the green surface. Buffy watched, mesmerized by the shear fact that she can bleed. She had bled many times but it always healed.

She wanted one cut that would last a week, not hours.

Spike placed his long duster over her lying frame and sat next to her. He knew she needed silence and didn't push her to speak.

After several minutes of not moving, he reluctantly spoke. "We need to get you inside, pet. We can talk about what happened when we get there."

Buffy refused to move by allowed him to lift her in his arms. They continued their short treck to his dark residence in silence. His jaw was working fiercely but he held his tongue and didn't scold her; didn't pressure her for an explanation.

If death wasn't where she belonged yet, this was the place she was meant to be. Spike was the only person she needed. Not Giles; not her mother. Just her and the most amazing man she would ever have in her life.


	20. Chapter 20

Buffy curled beneath the covers naked while her clothes laid out to dry next to the fire that Spike lit. She lifted two fingers and touched the deep gashes on her neck. It was still as if she was in a dream state. How had everything gone to hell in less than an hour?

She went from hating her job to hating her life in a matter of minutes. Spike had yet to speak one single word to her since lifting her from the cold ground and taking her to his place. Buffy knew that, as mad as he was, he still cared.

She watched his every movement with an isolated fixed stare. Buffy already had her doubts about how much Spike loved her. She knew that he cared deeply. It was written all over his face but the few times Drusilla's name came up, his eyes would soften as if he was living in the past, recalling all that they had shared.

Buffy feared that her sudden suicide attempt would draw him further away and into the arms of his missing ex lover. If it wasn't for her, he would be endlessly searching for the dark haired nut bag.

But he had voiced how much Drusilla was on the verge of making him crazy. He needed to get away from that...and now he had to start over and take care of his new girlfriend who had a death wish.

Spike snapped out the last article of clothing and placed it over a chair next to the blazing fire. He turned around and pierced her with a fixed scowl. His body weight dipped the mattress next to her. He placed his elbows on his knees and began picking at his black tipped fingers, cracking it off in a nervous gesture to keep his temper in check.

"I'm waiting," he reputed with a deadpan expressionless voice.

"I...I had a bad night."

Spike whirled his head around quickly. His expression changed several times; emotion crossing all over his features. "You had a bad night? You had a bad night." He feigned a laugh. Spike placed his face in his hands and groaned in astonishment. "Buffy," he began in a muffled voice as his face continued to stay hidden from her. "After everything that you have experienced, what could possibly send you over the edge in one night? Not a day goes by that you don't Slay yet you still manage to somehow stay perky, as odd as that may be. What happened, pet?"

Buffy noticed that he wasn't judging her like everyone else in her life was. It was nothing more than curiosity and worry. She picked at the blanket before answering.

"Everything happened tonight, Spike."

He waited for her to continue. A simple answer was not going to satisfy his thirst for knowledge when it came to a near death experience.

"I got hurt in a fight tonight."

"Yeah, I got that. And I was the one to stop the damn thing."

"No, not that one. A few hours ago. A Corpson Demon tried to literally break me in half and it was the first time I really felt weak trying to kill something. And then I went to Giles and it was all down hill from there."

"Told you I should have killed him awhile ago."

Buffy smiled but shook her head in a negative way. She took a deep breath and started rattling off the entire crummy night. "He and I were having our annual talk about how much I hate being The Chosen One and it always puts me in a crappy mood because he gives me these long lectures about how I have no choice and blah blah blah. And then I told him about you and me; he wasn't very supportive. I got pissed and left. Then I went home and found Mom making out with my super creepy Algebra teacher; I guess she thought I was rude to him or something. Heaven forbid I give him a little attitude since he yells at everybody for no reason every...single...day. I told her how I felt and she just totally slapped me across the face. Being who I am, it didn't hurt or anything but then I just left. I went to see you but that vampire was right there and my mood sucked royally so I let him have a drink. I wanted to feel something...even if it was me slipping my life away. But all in all...I'm just tired."

Spike devoured what she had told him.

"Crappy night." That was all he said. As much as Buffy craved a bit more support, few words were better than the endless ranting she was receiving from everyone else in her life.

"Yeah."

Spike laid down next to her, his body over the covers while she was tucked neatly under them. "You wanna stay the night, pet? I'd prefer you not be out of my sight. Call it suicide watch if you will."

Buffy shrugged. "It was a temporary moment of insanity. I don't feel like that so much now...but I was hoping you would want me to stay."

"I always want you with me, baby. Even if you do need a good wack to your backside."

"I havn't been spanked since I was nine and I'm not about to have that start up again by my ancient boyfriend."

"Ancient," Spike slapped his chest in wounded mockery. "I look good for my age though," he winked at her and the heart in her chest accelerated at his beauty. Buffy dipped her head low and rested her forhead against his shoulder.

"I'm not going home," she said softly. Spike stiffened next to her but said nothing. "I mean it."

"I know, sweetheart. But by tomorrow you might think differently."

"Hmmhmm, I won't. I'm sick of everything...everyone. I just want to be a normal girl for once without all the drama."

"You want to be normal but live in a dungeon with your 124 year old undead boyfriend? That's a different take on what is traditional."

"But I like the way you treat me. You don't tell me what to do or make me be who I'm not. You even put up with my mood swings. I mean, sometimes you hit me when I'm being a bitch but it's not like I don't give it back to you worse. And then we're okay. I like what you and I have."

"I like what we have, too."

"We don't have to live here."

"It's all I have, pet. You know that."

"I mean Sunnydale. Lets leave Sunnydale and never look back. I want to run away from it. I don't want to do this anymore."

"And where would we go?"

"You traveled the world for a hundred years before you rooted yourself to the Hellmouth because of me. I'm sure you can think of some place."

Spike turned on his side and leaned on a elbow to look down at her. His eyes were full of pity; he looked lost. "Please," she whispered.

"You want to pack and run?"

"Yeah...I do."

He shut his eyes harshly and reopened them, his gaze focused elsewhere. "What if I get charged with kidnapping? Ever think of that?"

Buffy laughed. "You eat babies and you're scared the police are going to arrest you for taking a women who was willing?"

"Well, sure."

Buffy wacked his arm, but not in a callous way. "Then I give you permission to kill whomever tries to stop us."

"Ahhhhh, Buffy Buffy Buffy. What am going to do with you?"

"Make me feel human for once." She flung her arms out blissfully. "Whisk me away to some remote romantic place and just be with me." She sat up, the blanket clutched tightly to her chest. "I don't want to be the Slayer anymore Spike," her voice got serious. "Tell me I don't have to be."

His blue eyes bore into her green once and they stayed like like for several beats as the fire glowed across their skin. "You don't have to be, luv. I'll take care of it."

Buffy let out the breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. She fell into his arms and knew that there was a way out and she had found it. Spike was going to take care of her. She no longer had to feel the weight of the world on her shoulder's...literally.


	21. Chapter 21

"How can you see where you're going?" Buffy leaned over and looked out of the tiny rectangle that Spike left unblackened for driving.

"Great eye sight and excellent reflexes." He pushed her gently on the head until she fell back onto her side of the car.

Spike tapped a finger on the steering wheel, trying to figure out what he was going to do with her. He loved Buffy more than he had ever loved anyone in his entire existance and that was the only reason why he was catering to her impulsive whim to leave Sunnydale without telling anyone; not that he didn't covet the thought of having her all to himself for a little while.

He just figured that they would drive around for a day or two, not venture very far, and turn right back around when she got homesick. As of right now, she was more set on this roadtrip than she had initially been after suggesting it the previous night.

She clicked on the radio and a _Spice Girls _song came on. Spike felt that his ears were going to begin bleeding from the obnoxious girly music but he couldn't hide a smile as Buffy began singing along and flinging her hair from side to side.

"Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want; So tell me what you want, what you really really want; I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want; So tell me what you want, what you really really want; I wanna I wanna I wanna I wanna I wanna really really really wanna zigazig ha."

Spike turned off the radio with a quick flick of his wrist.

"Hey! I was listening to that." She pouted out her bottom lip. Spike reached out and grabbed it.

"Put that lip up before I bite it." Buffy smiled at his remark and bit it herself, driving him even more crazy with lust. Spike groaned and grabbed the back of her neck and placed a rough kiss upon her lips. He pushed her off just as quickly and continued on like nothing had happened even if her lips were colored red and she was looking delicious. "And that is not music so I could care less if you were listening to it."

"It's the _Spice Girls. _You know; girl power. Kinda my moto if you ask some people."

"So these _Spice Girls..._Did they ever tell you what they really really wanted and what the hell does zigazig mean?"

"They would have told you want they wanted if you had finished listening to the song." She folded her slim arms and leaned back against the leather interior.

"Sorry I missed it then, luv. I'm almost curious now."

"It's still on."

"I'm not that curious," he said quickly.

They drove in comfortable silence for awhile. Spike reached over and put a hand to Buffy's forearm until she unfolded them and he was able to hold her hand. She seemed to like it when he did nice little gestures like that. He kind of enjoyed it to. In all the years he had been with Drusilla, he had never really just held her hand. It was a human thing he seemed to enjoy. Nice contact that didn't have to be violent or sexual...just feeling close with the other person.

"So where are we going, Spikey?"

"I thought we would start with Vegas."

"Vegas?" Her face screwed up. "What's in Vegas?"

"Lots of things. Gambling, shows, women, booze, Tom Jones."

Buffy stayed silent for awhile and looked a little upset. She tapped her index finger against his hand as she contemplated what he said. "I'm too young to gamble and drink, I could care less about women and you better not being getting any ideas in that department," she scolded before continuing on. "I don't know who Tom Jones is but I guess I could take in a show."

"Not that kind of show, pet."

"Ehhhh," she threw her head hard against the headrest. "Again, what's in vegas?"

"Relax. Last night when you were sleeping I went out and got you a fake I.D. I know a Scorpial Demon that specializes in these kind of things."

"A fake I.D.? Do I look 21 to you?"

Spike reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small plastic card. "Nope," he handed it to her. "You look 24."

"Huh?" Buffy grabbed it from him and looked down at the picture. He had taken a photo of Buffy to a guy he played poker with on a regular basis and currently owed Spike ten kittens. Just last week, she had given him a school picture which she had wrapped up with a pink bow and put into a purple heart shaped small frame with rhinestones. Of course he had taken it out of the frame before giving it to the demon. Spike could have easily lost his cool guy rep with having something bedazzled in his possession. Most people who dealt with fake I.D's used other people's pictures but this guy was a pro. He had it done in three hours. It looked like an actual drivers licence, just with the wrong name and birthday.

"Goldie Locks?!" Buffy focused on the card, then on Spike, and then on the card once more. Spike reached out touched her hair, "what's wrong with that? It's the first thing I came up with when I thought of you."

"What's wrong with Buffy?"

He snicker. "Who would believe your name is Buffy?"

"Um, because it is."

"Well, yeah, but the name is kind of fake sounding. You have to admit it."

"And Goldie Locks isn't?"

"Alright, maybe I could have went with Amy Summers but where's the fun in that. It's your first fake I.D., babe. Enjoy it."

She blew a peice of hair out of her face. "I guess it's alright, but why did you have to make me so old. Nobody will actually think I'm 24, and if they do, I need a serious spa day and face lift."

"Rule number one. When making a fake I.D., never put 21 on it because that just looks like you're trying to scrape by. We'll just put you in a push up bra and slap a lot of make up on. You'll be fine."

"Great."

Spike ran a hand over his mouth to hide his grin. If Buffy insisted on running away with him, then they were going to have a little fun.

"So when do we get there?" she asked with dread.

"Well, we've been driving for about an hour so I'd give it another 4."

"Yippy," she said with lackluster.

"They do have great hotel rooms," he said in hopes to lift her spirits. It worked.

"Really? How?"

"Hot tubs, water beds, huge T.V.'s."

"Huh," Buffy looked interested. "Maybe I will have fun. Hot tub...water bed," she wink winked at him. Spike chuckled.

"Down girl and 'course you will have a good time. This is going to be fun; just you and me."

"Yes it will be. I love you." she said

"Love you too, sweetheart."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I have never been to Vegas and do not know much about gambling and such. Try to ignore my ignorance if I get anything wrong :D This chapter doesn't hold any of that, but future chapters might. **

Buffy took off at a sprint twards her destination. It was something she had to do; something she had always wanted to do but never got the chance. She flung her arms out wide and flew into the air, her landing making a big sloshy sound as she bounced around like a boat on the sea. Her giggle was a bit shrill as she flipped around onto her back to look at Spike.

"That was great! Try it."

"Think I'll pass but I'll take your word for it," he winked. "You break that bed, you pay for it."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "With what? I don't have any money. I'm too 'busy' to have a real job." She got on her knees, "now _you_ try it."

There were staring daggers at one another, neither intent on giving in. He removed his coat and began sauntering to the bed.

"No, no, no. Run." She snapped her fingers and pointed to the other side of the gigantic suite.

"Bossy much?"

She nodded her head yes and bit her bottom lip with a smile. He took ten steps backward and paused. "You're really going to make me do this?"

"Oh, yeah."

Spike scratched the top of his head while his other hand rested on a hip. Buffy stretched her arms out. "I'll catch you."

"We'll, in that case," he took off at a run. After stepping his booted foot onto the wooden frame, he came down hard right ontop of her and began nuzzling her neck. She started to laugh and flung her body to the side to get away but couldn't seem to manage out of the water dip they were submersed in.

"Stop! It tickles!" He bit down. "Ouch." But she was still trying to catch her breath from the fun. Buffy knew that she could easily kick him off but she didn't want to do that. All she cared for was getting the upper hand and rolling him over but she was having a difficult time managing that particular task so she ceased her thrashing and ran a hand through his blond hair.

"Ahhhh," she voiced. "That was fun."

"You ready to have some real fun?" He asked while his head was still buried in her neck.

"Does that include room service and you naked?"

He bit her again except this time harder. She squealed and pushed him off her for real this time. She reached up and noticed that he actually drew blood that time.

"Spike!"

"What?" he feigned innocence. She punched him in the arm which caused the bed to wabble uncontrollably.

"I thought you were going to act like an actual girl for once and stop using so much muscle."

"I am but only if my boyfriend stops biting me like he's a _vampire."_

"You're the one that wants to change, pet. I'm very content on what I am thank you very much."

Spike bent down and retrieved her suitcase that contained both of their belongings. He took out a short black skirt and tight brown shirt that was too low cut for comfort. She bought these things on major sale to wear to the Bronze but never got around to actually walking out in public with them on.

"I can't believe you want me to dress like a whore. What ever happened to men wanting to keep their women to themselves?"

"I'm not dressing you like a whore. You're just going to wear an outfit that will make you fit into Vegas. Besides," he said while snapping out the skirt and tossing it to her. "You wear short skirts all the time."

"Yeah, because I like my legs. If you havn't noticed," Buffy placed both hands over her chest. "I kinda lack in the boob department."

"I've noticed but I'm still sure they're perfect."

"Aww. That was sweet," she took the compliment in before once again looking down at her lack of breasts. "Still not sure that shirts gonna look good though."

"Then why did you buy it?"

"Because it was on clearance for five bucks. I figured they would get bigger and then it would look right."

"Eh, they still might grow. If not...implants."

"Ewwww. You want me to get fake silicone put into my body."

He shrugged. "Only if you want to."

"We'll, I don't." She rolled sideways out of the bed, quickly finding it to be a more difficult workout than Slaying. She grabbed the outfit and went into the bathroom. The bathroom alone was bigger than her bedroom at home.

Grey tiles covered both the floor and walls which were illuminated by romantic lights that cast shadows against the surface. Two brown water basins sat ontop of beige cabinets instead of regular sinks. A stand up shower rested in the far corner for convenience while the bath tub was exquisite and looked more like a jacuzzi for two than anything else. It even had a step that offered assistance in entering it.

Buffy slid out of her jeans and tshirt before placing her tight clothing on. It clung to her body like a second skin and her legs looked fantastic. The full length mirror that rested against the door awarded her with a perfect view of her body. As usual, she wasn't happy about the 'boob' shirt. She did have a push up bra on but it still lacked the umph she was seeking in making them stand out on their own.

"When we have sex, I am so leaving my shirt on," she mumbled to herself.

"Over my already dead body," a british accent hollered from the master bedroom. Buffy stomped her foot.

_Damn vampire hearing, _she thought to herself.

She whipped the door open and stepped out in her new outfit. He whistled low while lounging in a white swivel chair with one leg casually resting on the arm. He looked amazing aimlessly positioned while devouring her with his eyes.

"Very impressive. You look good enough to eat."

"Don't get any kinky ideas," she teased about his eating comment. "Do I look 24?"

"Mmmm mayyyyybeeee...18. Fix your hair."

"What's wrong with my hair," she reached up and ran her fingers through the silky tresses.

"You have bangs and it bounces around like a shampoo commercial."

"I like it the way it is. I've let you puppet me as much as you're going to get. When we checked in, the guy didn't say anything about my I.D."

"That's because he was checking you out and didn't bother to even look at it."

Buffy beamed. "See. I'm already passing without even trying."

He rose from the chair and Buffy took in his gorgeous appearance for the first time. He wasn't wearing his standard black tee and jeans. Spike had on a blue button down that had the first four clasps undone; a gold chain hanging around his neck. Blue jeans hung down low on his lean hips and Buffy snickered when she noticed he had tennis shoes on.

"What? I tell you that your hot and you make fun of me."

"I'm not making fun of you. I've just never see you wear anything but your heavy boots and that," she pointed to the wadded up pile of clothing on the floor.

He shrugged like always and placed his arms loosely around her thin body. "Ready to go have some fun, beautiful."

"Yeah...why not?"


	23. Chapter 23 Author's Note

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know that my updates arn't like they have been. I was putting up 1 to 2 chapters a day b/c I really didn't have anything else to do. I started a new job recently and it's taking up a lot of my time. I have already started on my next chapter and I will try my darndest to get it up by tomorrow. Thank you so much for your continued support, reviews, and follows. **


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Super super sorry for the delay. I know a lot of you have been getting antsy. I havn't had much inspiration all of the sudden with this particular story but I'll try to keep going and update on a regular basis. Thank you for your patience and continued support. **

Buffy entered the elevator, Spike close by her side. She still had heavy doubts about the kind of fun she would have here in Las Vegas but mostly there was the fear of someone catching her fake I.D. She wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if her and Spike couldn't knock out a couple of security guards and cops.

Spike was looking at her kind of funny. The smirk on his face was all telling but it told her nothing.

"What?" She asked in curiosity. What did he have up his sleeve? Her blond knight in shining armor led her out of the elevator and into the busy casino that was located to the right. She held his cool hand in her hot one as they made their way through the thick crowd of gamblers and drunks. A few intoxicated customers slammed into her hard and she had to restrain herself from tossing them a few dozen feet across the room.

They passed the games of roulette, blackjack, and even the slots. Her led her so far into to the casino that the exit was closing in on them.

"Spike, where are we going?" She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "Shouldn't we have stopped a good fifty feet back?"

"I've been coming to the Sahara for 60 years and they just added a new attraction that I have been dying to try out."

"Yeah?"

"Yup. Come on, pet. Pick up the pace."

When they were five feet away from the door that would lead them outside, Spike took a sharp left and led her into a darkened restaurant that red _Nascar Cafe _above the enterance. Buffy rolled her eyes. The attraction was probably buffalo wings and beer. A waitress holding a trey of champagne glasses passed them and Spike reached out to grab two with just one hand. He handed Buffy a glass.

"Drink up, babe. Lets party."

Buffy sniffed the drink before bringing it to her lips. She had drank beer before. The taste was atrocious. Yet the taste of and wine was actually quite good. But she never tasted champagne. She wrinkled her nose slightly and noticed that the level of taste was somewhere inbetween. It wasn't sweet and delicious but it wasn't horrible either. She drowned the drink in three quick gulps and made a sour face. Spike was looking at her in that sexy way of his with his head bent low and a look of love on his features. Buffy reached up and gave him a quick kiss on his smooth lips.

"That wasn't so bad."

"Good 'cause there's a lot more where that came from."

A strange sound reached Buffy's ears and dragged her gaze away from the beautiful blue eyes before her. She peeked around Spike and noticed a small line of people formed close near by.

"Come on," he gently dragged her to the line and waited. Within a few seconds, a six car roller coaster rushed in and made a hard stop.

Buffy giggled.

"If you were itching to ride rides, babe, we could have just went to Disney Land and taken pictures with Mickey Mouse. I would have had more fun myself."

"Vampire," he pointed to his chest. "Unless you wanted to go after dark and spend two hours waiting in line for one ride before they closed."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders.

"Your right. That would suck."

She was trying to keep her cool but the second that the line for the first car was free, she skipped into the seat like a little child and clinked down the bar. Spike settled in next to her and she could tell he was keyed up too even if his excitment was much more contained than her own.

Buffy rested her head against the back of the seat. She hadn't been to an amusement park since she was fourteen and the world still made sense. She was popular, Mom and Dad were still together, and a tiny punch to her arm still hurt like it was suppose to.

"Your gonna pee yourself if you get anymore excited, luv."

"I just might. Now if you had told me this is what we were going to do, I might not of had such a big attitude."

"Damn. I should of because you were really starting to piss me off."

She opened her mouth to retaliated but the buzzer went off and they shot out at 50 miles an hour, immediately went into a drop, and flew through a super tall loop that was located outside. The air was chill and dark. The loop ended and the ride sped faster. They had to be going atleast 70 miles an hour and Buffy couldn't wipe the grin off of her face if she wanted to. They did a quick corkscrew turn and shot up a anormous vertical drop before pausing.

The track had ended and they were hanging on the edge of it.

"This is so much fucking fun!" she yelled over the following passengers screams.

This time they shot backwards going through the same obstacal. Buffy's head fell forwards as her hair blew around her face, blocking her line of vision. They went into the first loop that they had previously lifted into and came to a quick stop back inside the building.

She took a moment to catch her breath.

"Ahhhh," she sighed. "That was great."

The bar around her shoulders lifted and she went down to unbuckle her seat. She rose to step out of the low car and Spike hit her on the ass, causing her to jump the rest of the way out with a yelp.

"Hey! Hands off."

"We'll that's a first. Usually you're begging me for hands on."

Buffy looked at him for the first time and burst our laughing. His face fell as she pointed at him in amusement.

"What the hell's so funny?"

"Your hair. I've never seen it out of place before. I just figured you had it turned into plastic like a Ken doll so it wouldn't ever move again."

He quickly ran his fingers through the bright blond locks and looked a little embarrassed.

"I never knew you had curls."

"So what of it."

"They're so cute. You need to let them spring free once in awhile."

"See," he said harshly before walking out of the cafe and back into the casino. "Springs. I've always hated my hair. I finally found a way to keep it down and looking good."

"Mmmm," she wrapped her arms around his lean waist. "You always look good."

"Same to you, pet. But your hair is looks more messy than mine right now."

"I bet it does. And you know what?"

"What?" he asked suspiciously.

"I...don't...care." Buffy reached up and shook her hair into a pile of knots.

She reached over and took two more glass of champagne from a different waitress and downed both of them in seconds. She grabbed Spike's hand and dragged him back into the cafe'.

"Lets go again."

As she drug him back for another ride, she heard Spike say, "Really? This is how you loosen up and have fun?"

"You're the one who started it."

Spike halted their movement by placing his feet firmly to the ground. Buffy was puzzled but followed him willingingly. How could she not? He cocked his head and gave her a half smile that had her heart palpitating a mile a minute. It was hands down the sexiest, most smoldering, and affectionate look he ever graced her with.

"Go back to the room."

"Why? We just came down stairs." Buffy was yearning for him tell her that he wanted her. It was the only thing missing from their perfect relationship.

Spike bit down on her pouty lip and kissed the sore spot that he just caused her to have.

"What is it with you and biting today? Have you eaten lately?"

She reached up and rubbed the spot that had been assaulted yet taken care of passionately.

"I'm going to go buy a few things. And you're right. You are too young to enjoy yourself down here. Why waste our time gambling when we have everything we need in our suite, my sweet." He winked. She nearly fainted.

"Well, alright." Buffy turned in the direction of the elevator and paused. "When will you be back?"

"Twenty minutes tops. I know my way around," he said while walking away. "Won't be long, luv. Don't miss me too much."

As his steps retreated, Buffy took off at a sprint and pushed the up botton furiously.

"Come on, come on, come on." It dinged open and she ran inside, relieved to find it empty. She was moving side to side and jumping slightly at the anticipation.

Floor 27.

She ran down the hall and place the card into its slot to unlock the door. It didn't open. The light was still red.

She tried it again. Green; immediately turned red.

"Errrr, come on," she growled.

Calmly replacing it in; this time it turned green and she was able to enter the chilly room. Running to the bathroom, she filled the jacuzzi tub and went to retrieve a binkini from her bag.

Buffy shed her tight clothing within seconds. She put the purple binkin on. The top and bottom were both ties...easy to untie. The purchase had totally been intentional incase this moment ever arose with Spike.

She was tired of being his girlfriend whom he refused to touch. She may be young, but she was way better than Drusilla and any other girl he had ever been with.

And she was determined to make him realize that. Tonight was the night and nothing would stop her from getting what she wanted above anything else.


End file.
